


A Case of Fanfiction

by Zehava



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drabble, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Minor Violence, Original Character(s), Some semblance of relationships, Taking canon and headcanon to make a fanfic smoothie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:55:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 30,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22774492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zehava/pseuds/Zehava
Summary: A collection of one-shots, drabbles, AUs, and whatnot about the Fantastic Beasts series that pop into my head.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. Fire

"Shall we die, just a little?" Newt stiffened at the words, the familiar question worming through his thoughts until it strangled all others. Queenie and Credence had disappeared after walking through the fire and left only Grindelwald with his wand held out. Yet it wasn't pointed at him and he followed the direction to a rigid Jacob. His blood chilled and he looked back at the dark wizard to see his dual colored eyes fixed on him.

"Please, don't," he whispered with a step towards his friend.

"Move another inch and I'll make his death slow." Newt froze and where his thoughts had been fixated on a single point, they now flew wildly in his head, threatening to split his skull open with the amount of them. "You cost me precious time putting me in prison." He wouldn't apologize for that and there was a ghost of a smile on the man's face when he realized this.

"Queenie won't forgive you when she plucks this scene from your head," he tried.

"Ah, but she won't see how it happened, merely… How you were unable to prevent it. You claim to be friends with this muggle?" He scoffed and Newt grit his teeth. "They aren't meant to be friends. Only servants." His wand flicked and flames lazily lashed towards the baker, brushing his skin with fiery tongues.

"Don't!" Newt jerked towards him yet hesitated as the threat came back to him. "He has nothing to do with this, just let him walk away from this!"

"Do you always resort to begging when you're powerless?" Grindelwald sneered. "A case of mythical creatures was at least _worth_ pleading for."

"It's okay," Jacob murmured and Newt's eyes widened as the baker turned to give him a weak smile. "It's okay, Newt." Jacob was trembling but his stance was firm, the steel of a soldier still melded into his spine. "It's okay." The same reassurance he gave before he walked into the rain, yet this was far worse. He had lost him before and only just got him back, he couldn't watch him burn! Grindelwald swiped his hand and the blue flames leaped hungrily.

" _Jacob_!" Tina suddenly apparated next to the baker and slammed into him, taking them both to the floor. Grindelwald turned with a snarl and Newt quickly waved his wand, a shield materializing above his friends. The flames slammed into it, spreading with what almost sounded like a howl of outrage, fiery teeth trying to find purchase in the barrier. Tina and Jacob vanished with a crack and when those dual colored eyes snapped onto his form, a hand dropped onto his shoulder. A feeling twisted in his gut, squeezed his insides, and suddenly he appeared higher on the steps than he was before.

"Are you alright, Newt?" He glanced briefly up at Theseus to note his worry before around the area. The lady who was with Credence was being hidden behind Yusuf while to the side he could see Tina helping Jacob up. Where was--

"Grindelwald!" Leta was marching down towards the flames, drawing the dark wizard's attention. Then everything happened faster than he could keep up with, and despite what Jacob had said, nothing would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spelling apparate correctly maaaaybe?


	2. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What we do in the aftermath

They had retreated back to Hogwarts to think and brief over what had happened. Theseus was grim beside him, expression in hard lines nearly lost in the soot and grime that covered him. Yusuf was quiet, contemplating, a calm pillar amid the chaos that surrounded them. Tina had disappeared to contact the American Ministry of Magic, but he thought mostly to be alone. Her thoughts had been so heavily concentrated on Credence that she hadn’t even seen her sister in all that chaos until it had been too late. At least she had been able to save Jacob.

Jacob…

Newt glanced back at his friend and bodily cringed at the expression etched in his features. He had hardly seen the man without a smile and now grief seemed to physically seep from him. If Jacob was bright when happy, he was completely dark when not. His shoulders curled in on themselves and his eyes didn’t once lift from the floor. He merely followed Newt’s coattails or the back of whoever was in front of him. Despite how amazed he had been when he first encountered Newt’s case, the splendor of Hogwarts did nothing to entice his gaze now. Theseus had vanished somewhere with Nagini and Dumbledore had taken the chain he’d gotten to research. Yusuf was nowhere to be seen and he found himself alone with Jacob for possibly the first time since finding Tina. 

“Jacob,” he began nervously. “Would you like something to eat?” 

“No thanks, pal. I’m, uh… not really in the mood.” 

“Alright.” A silence settled over them and unlike their normal comfortable silences, this was stifling. It was heavy and he could almost feel a weight press on his shoulders. 

“I called her crazy.” Newt blinked and were he not so close, may not have heard the whisper from the American. “She asked me to walk through that fire with her, and I called her crazy.” Jacob lifted his eyes and Newt flinched at the red rimmed gaze that met his own. He was never good with people, far better with creatures, but seeing his friend in such a state physically  _ hurt _ . “How could I have called her that?” Newt fiddled with his case, eyes flickering from Jacob to the floor and back again. Was he supposed to answer that?

“You were… under a lot of stress, Jacob.” Jacob’s eyes were glassy and far away.

“Even if I didn’t say it, I was thinking it. She just watched people burn up in fire and she  _ wanted _ to walk  _ through  _ it? She heard the same bullshit story we did and she believed it? I heard those same words in war… from people shooting bullets at me. From people that wanted to burn down the world.” Newt stiffened and cursed himself. How could he have forgotten the war Jacob endured? As he told him before, he had seen countless horrors and he had dragged his friend right into the middle of this only to be confronted with the possibility of another one.

“I’m sorry for bringing you--”

“Finish that sentence and I’ll break your nose.” 

“P-pardon?” Jacob straightened and met his gaze with a flicker of determination lighting his dim eyes. 

“You didn’t bring me here kicking and screaming. I wanted to come for Queenie. Even if you hadn’t wanted me to come, I would have snuck into that case of yours and went anyway. So it’s not your fault, Newt. I… could've been more understandin’ of Queenie before she even went off to Paris. If I’d looked harder…” Jacob crumbled in front of him, head and shoulders dropping and Newt eased forward. He hesitated before laying a hand on his shoulder. He had his own misunderstanding with Tina, but at least he had found her. 

“I didn’t help you find Queenie like I should have. I was too focused on Tina,” he admitted. “But, I’ll make up for my mistake.” He tightened his grip on his shoulder and tilted his head to try and catch Jacob’s eye through his fringe. “We’re all after Grindelwald, but I promise I’ll put all my effort into finding Queenie with you. I know Tina will help too. Between the three of us, we can surely make her come back around.” Jacob lifted his head and sniffed loudly.

“You really think so?” Newt nodded firmly and promised inwardly he’d make it so. Jacob had done so much for him even as a muggle with nothing but himself to offer. He’d faced magical dangers and cared for both him and his creatures when not many would. He’d make sure to bring Jacob that happiness he lost if it was the last thing he did. Jacob slowly stood taller and offered a watery grin, lifting a hand to pat Newt’s which rested on his shoulder before the wizard moved away. “Thanks, pal. And maybe…” His lips twisted into a more sheepish expression. “I would like a little something to eat.” Newt smiled and turned, gesturing for Jacob to follow.

“I’ll take you to the kitchens. We can… do a short tour if you’d like? This is the school I attended after all.” Jacob’s smile was less brittle and he quickly stepped up to stand beside him.

“Yeah, I’d like to have a look around.” That was his Jacob, the one who bore challenges with a smile. “But, um, how are you doing?” Newt froze at the sudden shift onto him and glanced at himself as if something on his person had given him away. “That dame, the lady I mean, she put herself between that crazy bastard and us. You were friends with her, right?” The wizard stiffened as the memory slammed full force into his mind. Leta looking back at them with a smile on her face, the blue flame engulfing her body while his brother screamed her name beside him.

_ I love you. _

“Newt…?” Jacob’s hand gripped his arm and the memory shattered under his touch. He let out a shaky breath and his eyes flitted away from the man. 

“I hadn’t… really focused on it too much. I’ve been so busy with everything else, perhaps I just pushed it to the back. I don’t think I really  _ wanted _ to think of it…” Jacob’s fingers tightened on him briefly, comfortingly, and Newt allowed himself to be anchored by that feeling. “I keep thinking… did she have to do that? Surely there was another way we could have escaped without her sacrifice? Did she just jump to that choice to alleviate herself from that guilt, to make up for it when it all came back to her? She didn’t have to die. She didn’t have to die, Jacob! I didn’t do anything, I just let her go and do that--”

“You didn’t make her do anything, pal. She  _ chose _ that path for herself.”

“But why…?” He could feel his fingers trembling and tightened them into fists around his case handle. The familiar weight gave him comfort and he took solace in the grooves he had worn into the leather. 

“Sometimes… we can’t understand people’s thinking. We can’t all be mind readers like Queenie!” His voice broke on her name, but Jacob gave his arm a reassuring squeeze before letting his hand drop. “We just have to… trudge on.” His fingers tapped an incessant beat on his case, chewing at his lip briefly then lifting his eyes to hesitantly meet Jacob’s. 

“Everyone seems to be hurting, Jacob, and I just… want to go back to our adventure in America.” 

“You wanna go back to that fiasco?” Newt smiled wanly. 

“It was the first time I met you, and people who truly listened to me. I would give more attention to Credence and keep him from falling on this path. There were so many choices that if we had made that first time, we wouldn’t be here now. I keep thinking about that. I keep going around it in my head. How many things did I do wrong that caused us to be here now? What could I have done better?”

“You know… I get that. Sometimes I think back on my past mistakes. Wish I told my family I loved ‘em more. Wish I’d convinced my brother to stay back when he said he wanted to sign up with me so I wouldn’t have had to see him die in a trench…” Jacob visibly shook himself to rid of the memories and fixed him with a hard look. “Yeah, we might’ve done some things different, but I’m glad it worked out this way. Maybe if you’d have done something different, we wouldn’t have met and that…”

“I would have found you some way or another, I’m sure. We’re kindred souls after all.” Jacob flushed but offered a warm smile.

“I feel the same, buddy. But it could’ve been a lot different of a circumstance that might’ve ended a lot worse than it did. Like me permanently forgetting about all of this.” Newt frowned deeply at that thought and Jacob patted him on the shoulder. “Worrying about all this ain’t gonna do nothing for either of us, pal. We’re both men of action so… let’s get to work, eh? We’ll make sure the ending this time is a happy one.” Newt blinked but straightened under his gaze, offering a smile in return.

“Yes. There’s no one I’d rather have than you at my side, Jacob. Now, shall we start the tour? I’m sure you’ll get along well with the house elves in the kitchen first… Though, if I recall, your uncle is a house elf?” Jacob gave a bark of laughter and Newt allowed himself a moment of pride for making the sound before gesturing for his friend to follow him.


	3. Harm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A "what if Queenie had left Jacob on the roof" thought. Here's where the minor violence tag comes in.

"If anything happens to me, please take care of my creatures." He shoved the case in Tina's arms before she could protest, pulling a roughly stitched journal from his coat to join it. "Everything you need to know is in that book."

"Where are you going?" She demanded.

"They're not killing it." He smiled weakly before turning away and stepping off the roof ledge just to vanish with a crack. Tina was moving before he was even fully gone, putting both the case and the book in Queenie's care.

"You heard him, take care of that!" She went after him and Jacob already knew what was about to happen before Queenie even turned towards him.

"Take hold of that, honey." He was forced to grab hold of the case with one hand, and scrambled not to drop the journal with the other while still trying to reach for her. 

"Now hold on!" He couldn't grab her with everything balanced precariously in his arms and she vanished just like the other two. "I thought you said I was one of youse…" His shoulders drooped and he carefully set the case down. Flashes of his brother loomed in his head, blood and broken limbs, and he shuddered at the images being replaced with that of his three new friends. He looked over the edge of the roof, scanning the city for any sight of them yet all he could see was raging smoke in the distance, the sounds of screams and shattering glass echoing even up here. What could he do? He gripped the journal and paced, free hand raking through his hair. By the time he got down from this roof, they could be halfway across the city by then with him no closer to their location than before. Besides, what was he supposed to do when competing with magic and spells? He had his fists, as he used in the bar, but that wasn't anything compared to this grand a scale. 

Dammit! Why couldn't he be a wizard too? He glanced at the worn journal in his hands then back to the equally worn case, a new dent in it from where he had clocked Newt over the head with it. Was that really only this morning…? He frowned and flipped open the book to briefly scan the pages. He hadn't been the first pick, or even the second, to take care of these beasts but… Jacob snapped it closed with determination. Even without magic there was something he could do. 

* * *

"Mr. Graves!" The man turned towards her with a snarl, eyes gleaming with a wild light that had her gripping her wand tight. There was something wrong with the man she used to look up to. Either way, she wouldn't let that boy be hurt anymore. Not even by him.

"Tina, always showing up where you're least wanted." He flung his wand out and she quickly countered it, moving to block another before even comprehending the motion. Their spells exploded and sparked with angry blue light and he finally snapped his wand out in a stream of crackling energy. She braced herself, gripping her wand between two hands as she met the spell head-on. The magic sizzled between them and she dug her heels in as she felt the force threaten to push her back. His face was twisted in a mixture of disbelief and fury, and a tendril of smug satisfaction curled in her gut at the sight. She hadn't been on the force for nothing! "I don't have time to play today!" His free hand whipped out and in the corner of her eye she saw a car come flying towards her. She nearly let go of her spell when the car stopped in mid-flight and it dropped heavily to the ground.

"Well that's a shame!" Tina could have collapsed with relief at the sound of her sister's voice. Queenie stepped beside her with a brilliant smile, wand out and at the ready. "Because we have a game to play with you, don't we, Teenie?" Queenie snapped a spell out to join with her sister's, light purple mixing with the blazing blue to make a brilliant lavender that furiously advanced towards Percival's widening gaze. 

Thank Mercy, Queenie was here… 

* * *

"Credence, can I come over?" Newt asked quietly, crouched by the tracks. "Can I come over there to you?" The smoke slowly retreated until it formed a teenager, the male trembling as he curled as tight as possible against the wall. There was the barest of nods, but it was enough, and Newt carefully picked his way over. "Thank you, Credence. My name is Newt Scamander. Can I take a look at you?" Credence shook his head violently and he put his hands up peacefully when smoke curled at the edges of his clothes. "I don't want to hurt you. I want to make sure _you're_ not hurt. It must be scary. Losing control like that."

"It… _hurts_ , Mr. Scamander…" Newt crawled a little closer, tucking his wand haphazardly in his sleeve. 

"What does, Credence?"

" _Everything_ …" His heart twisted in his chest and for a moment, he saw a little girl staring up at him, tears in her eyes as parts of her skin burned away from her face. He blinked and the memory faded. 

"I know, I know," he murmured. "Let me help you. Remember I said I knew someone like you? I wasn't able to help her in time, but I _will_ help you. If you let me. Will you let me help you, Credence?" The teenager quivered in his little hiding space and stared at him with eyes far too old for a face like his. He slowly nodded and Newt offered a hesitant smile. "Alright then." 

There was a crackle of energy that had his hair standing on end and he turned just in time to receive a blast of magic full to the chest. It slammed him into the wall, pain rocketing up his back and he slumped with a gasp, shakily pulling his wand from his sleeve. Mr. Graves was marching towards them with a crazed look in his eye. His clothes were singed and his hair looked far whiter than it had before. He looked as if he had crawled up from hell.

"Credence, run." The teen whimpered and Newt forced himself to his feet, planting himself between Graves and Credence. He had been hit harder by his creatures. He could take this. He _would_ endure this. "Go!" Credence scrambled up and took to his heels while Newt hastily blocked a spell sent towards him. 

"You and your _friends_ have interfered far too many times!" He shouted, spit flying from his lips. Newt stiffened at the mention of friends, cold dread crawling down his spine. 

"You're not Mr. Graves." The man grinned wildly at him, blood between his teeth. 

"It took a complete stranger to realize that!" He whipped his wand out and Newt struggled to keep up. He was completely on the defensive, aware of the boy someplace behind him he had to protect and the small space around them he had to avoid damaging. It wouldn't do to have the entire building cave in on them.

Yet Mr. Graves, or whoever he was, seemed to have no concern for anyone's well being including himself as he shot spell after spell at him. He finally fired at the tracks and the metal whipped up like a wave on the ocean, bucking him into the air. He fell on his back roughly, the distant ache from the first time he hit it now flaring up painfully. Spells lashed at him and he struggled to block them while on his back, rocks digging into his spine. Unfortunately, he finally slipped up and Graves used the opportunity to his advantage. Electricity barreled into him and white hot pain lanced into his body. He writhed in agony, trying to turn onto his belly and crawl away from it but the spells kept coming until he was screaming. The lightning bounced across the metal tracks and heightened their power before slamming into him, rippling across his flesh and searing his clothes as the smell of smoke filled his senses. 

A scream, even louder than his, tore through the station and the electric attacks blissfully stopped. He slumped limply against the rocks beneath him, turning his head up weakly to see smoke flailing above him, angry flashes of orange magic weaved between the smog. 

"Credence…" Mr. Graves's voice was one of awe, but the shriek that followed the name was one of fury. Credence lunged at him with the force of a train, the wizard barely disapparating away in time. The Obscurus screamed its outrage and blasted through the roof, spiraling high into the air before shooting back down, splaying out widely in an effort to impale the wizard. Newt slowly pushed himself up, wand clutched between his fingers as Graves disappeared and reappeared, only for the process to repeat as he fought to avoid the magic. All the while he was spouting lies and praises as if that would calm the boy he so callously desired. He rolled out of the way of falling rocks only to see a spear of smoke hurtling towards him. His magic was sluggish to come at his call, but at the last minute the smoke twisted to avoid him and instead lanced at Graves, nicking his side before the wizard could move away. Credence would kill this man if given the chance, and Newt couldn't allow that. Murder on the conscience was an unbearable weight, even for a man that could be argued to deserve it. 

He stood shakily and breathed through his teeth, pain skittering across his nerves like the prickling feeling of Bowtruckle feet on his skin. Graves fell backwards, staring up at a swirling vortex of magic and Newt called his magic to him. He apparated before Graves but his legs buckled and he fell to his knees in front of the man. 

"Credence, don't do this," he begged. But the smoke reared back and he feared briefly that despite their short connection Credence would kill him if just to get to Graves behind him. 

"Credence! No!" The smoke froze and Newt glanced over to see Tina limping towards them, one hand clutching her arm with her wand held firmly between her palm and shoulder. His heart leaped in his throat at the sight of her injured. But Queenie was by her side, eyes narrowed in a fierce glare towards Graves. If looks could kill, he'd be dead five times over. "Don't do this," she added in a repeat of Newt's earlier words. The Obscurus hesitated and slowly Newt and Graves got to their feet.

"Keep talking, Tina. He's listening to you."

"I know what that woman did to you." She grit her teeth and straightened, ignoring the noise of concern Queenie made beside her. "I'm sorry I couldn't have helped you more, but I'm here now to make up for it. Newt here, he can help you. That man," she frowned briefly at Graves before looking back up at Credence. "Is using you. You know that, don't you?" The smoke gently began to curl tighter in on itself, settling against the floor when people streamed in. The Aurors raised their wands as one and the smoke fidgeted and grew in size.

"No one fires!" Graves snarled. "Anyone that attacks answers to _me_!"

"You're all making it worse!" Queenie cried while Tina eased forward. 

"Shh, it's alright, Credence, it's okay…" They fired and Newt snapped his wand up, a shield quickly forming around them. Tina and Queenie added their magic when it began to break. Graves screamed at the Aurors, his wand moving frantically to divert the spells. 

"You have to calm down, Credence." Sweat was dripping down his face and his muscles burned. His magic was depleting at a faster rate than he could keep up with, and a glance to his side told him the Goldstein sisters weren't faring much better. "I-I know it's hard, that you're scared, but you have to come back. We'll protect you, just like we are now." The smoke receded until finally a figure crouched before him. Credence caught his gaze then his eyes rolled up in the back of his head. Newt rushed forward to grab him but it was Queenie that beat him to it, cradling him against her chest with a sad coo. 

"Poor thing's all skin and bone!"

"That's enough!" A voice boomed out and the spells ceased flying. Their protective barrier faded and Tina knelt beside her sister, checking Credence's pulse. The president walked out, her stance rigid and her gaze blazing. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Graves snapped.

"They are under **my** orders to kill that Obscurial, Mr. Graves."

"What you're doing is _wrong_."

"He killed a No-Maj, broke countless laws, and has put all of us in jeopardy--"

"Laws?" Graves barked out a laugh and Newt eased away from the sisters as the man stalked towards her. "Do you mean the same laws that ask us to hide and lie about our true selves? Laws that protect _who_ , Madame President? Us or them?" He waved a hand towards the roof where they could hear the cries of angry voices. "I will no longer bow to you or laws that have us scuttling around like rats in the sewers!" 

"Aurors, relieve Mr. Graves of his wand and escort him back." The spells were flying again yet Graves rebuffed each one easily, a manic energy to his movements as he stalked towards the president. Newt threw the cocoon out of his pocket and the Swooping Evil unfurled with a shriek. It weaved through the spells and cracked its head into Graves to send him stumbling. He whipped around and Newt lashed his wand out. Sticky threads shot out to encase him, hardening and pinning his arms to his sides. His wand fell from his grasp and Aurors were immediately bounding towards him to grab hold of him while Tina called his wand to her hand. Newt fell against the wall, struggling to pull air into his lungs as his creature flew back towards him, curling up and landing in his outstretched palm. His magic was at its limit and his body screamed its protest at his abuse. 

" _Revelio!_ " Queenie hissed, twisting her wand savagely at the man. His features began to melt, slipping off like water until Gellert Grindelwald stared up at them. The President stood before him with a deep frown and the dark wizard smiled up at her.

"Do you really think you can hold me? Restrain our _ideals_?" She smiled grimly at him.

"We'll do our best, Mr. Grindelwald. Get him out of my sight." The Aurors jerked him off the ground and Newt glanced up briefly to meet dual colored eyes.

"Will we die…" he looked down at his chest and grinned before back up at the magizoologist. "Just a little?" Newt frowned, his thoughts far too sluggish to process the encounter before the men hauled him away.

"Now, for the Obscurial." Tina quickly placed herself between Queenie and the president.

"Madame President--"

"We have _laws_ , Ms. Goldstein which we must uphold." She grimaced and glanced up as the roar of the crowd seemed to grow. "Though it seems it may be pointless now. The secret is out. A war with the No-Maj… is inevitable."

"Madame President, I… may have an idea," Newt offered. "I can help both your Obscurus problem and the muggl--No-Maj." She raised a brow at him.

"Is that so, Mr. Scamander?"

"Y-yes." He couldn't hold her gaze long, her eyes seeming to try and burn a hole in him. His gaze flickered about, catching Tina's encouraging smile and Queenie's thumbs-up. "I have been studying the Obscurus I found in my case and I think I know a way to help him."

"You _think_?"

"I **know** ," he offered and met her gaze boldly. “I was able to remove the Obscurus from the last host I encountered.” _I won’t fail again._ She stared him down and when he felt he couldn't take it any longer, she gave a brief nod. 

"And the No-Maj?"

"I just need my case," he said confidently and reached for it unconsciously only to grasp empty air. Panic went through him like a bolt of lightning and he spun to face the sisters, body stiffening painfully in protest. 

"I um, left it with Jacob." Queenie must have read his anxiety either through his face or thoughts and quickly waved a hand at him. "I'll go find him, no problem at all, honey! Teenie, if you'll take this sweet thing here…" Tina crouched and Queenie transferred Credence from her arms to Tina's. The blond rose with a grin and disappeared. 

"Are you alright, Tina?" Newt asked softly while the president turned to order some of her Aurors. The skin on her shoulder was peeling, an angry red that crawled down her arm. 

"Yeah, bastard got me good, but with a little healing magic I'll be fine." Her eyes narrowed with concern towards him. "You okay? You look ready to keel over, Newt…" 

"I'm fine," he replied stiffly yet her face only melted further with worry. 

Queenie reappeared with a crack and she hurried over to Newt, case in hand. However, her expression was drawn and Newt didn't have to be a mind reader to know why.

"I didn't see Jacob anywhere… and I can't hear his thoughts!" She whispered harshly. 

"I-it's alright, I'm sure he's fine. We'll find him after this." Queenie chewed on her lip but nodded and handed him his case. He set it down and opened it.

"Mr. Scamander…?" He glanced up at the president's questioning tone and offered a brief smile.

"I'll be back shortly. I just need to call a friend."

He climbed down the ladder and pain shot down his joints with every step. His chest was tight, his hands were trembling, and the edges of his vision were getting hazy. But he had to press on. He couldn't let what that man did ruin the lives of all wizards and witches in America, or end in the trial of an innocent boy. 

_Keep a stiff upper lip_ , as his brother often quoted. _Duty must always come first._

He gathered the vial of Swooping Evil venom then stumbled out of his shack. Frank stood majestically before him and he stiffened.

"Jacob?" The man turned with a grin, lowering his hand where it had been stroking the thunderbird's beak. Dougal was hooked around his neck and disappeared once he hurried towards him.

"Newt! Buddy, you're okay!" He looked like he was going to hug him but stopped short with a heavy frown. "You don't look okay. Do you need to sit a minute? Where's the girls?"

"Later, at the moment I need Frank." The thunderbird cocked its head towards them with a soft caw.

"Newt, I really think--" Jacob reached towards him and he shied away from his touch. The baker let his hands hang limply and took a step back.

"I can't right now, Jacob. Just… let me do this. I will explain later, but I must do this, you understand?"

"Yeah, 'course I do." He didn't, in the slightest if his deep frown said anything, but he was respectful of his wishes and for that Newt was grateful. "Can I do anything?"

"Just stay in the case and don't come out until myself or the girls say it's alright." He moved towards the thunderbird and leaned gratefully against his offered head. "I'm going to use Frank and the Swooping Evil venom to wipe the muggles' memories."

"You said it might remove bad memories?" Newt smiled against Frank's feathers. Despite all that happened, he still remembered that?

"Yes, so in order to keep yours, you must remain down here."

"Shouldn't I… forget too though?" Newt straightened and frowned at him, the American fidgeting with his tie. "I wasn't really supposed to remember all this stuff in the first place, right? Then youse guys didn't really need me. I was just here to babysit! You just kept me along cause…" His brow furrowed and he lifted his gaze. "Why did you bring me along?"

"Because I like you," he replied without even thinking. "Because… you're my friend." He said it as a statement yet it came out more a hopeful question. 

"Oh…" Jacob blinked and looked away, thumbing at his eyes before fixing him with a grin. "You're a great friend to have, Newt. Now go on and do some more of those amazing magical tricks you do!" Newt grinned and turned to begin up the ladder, pausing and leaning more heavily on the rungs than before but by Merlin he was going to get this done!

* * *

This wasn't how he wanted to release Frank, and he said as much against the feathers of the thunderbird. Soft apologies exchanged only between them. Then he was letting him go and Frank did what he did best.

He brought a storm.

The Aurors disappeared one by one to fix the damage while the No-Maj drifted aimlessly, eyes glazed as the venom rained down. 

"They won't remember anything. The venom is very potent."

"We owe you a great debt… Now, Mr. Scamander?"

"Yes, Madame President?"

"I expect you and your case, and the… _boy_ , out of my city by the week's end." He nodded his agreement and she turned only to pause. "Where is that No-Maj who was with you?"

"I left him with the case and he wasn't there when I got back!" Queenie chirped. She had already pried Jacob's true location out of his mind and inwardly he hissed at her to _tone it_ **_down_ ** **.** She shouldn't be happy about that! Queenie must have plucked it from his thoughts because her expression melted into an unhappy pout. "Guess he got scared off… the rain will make him forget all about us." She seemed unconvinced of her display, but merely nodded and turned away. The President, and the Aurors beside her, vanished with a thunderous crack. 

"Now, why don't we get everyone back to the apartment and figure out where to go from here?" Queenie asked with a brilliant smile. 

"Sure our landlady will love that… Newt…?"

"Hm?"

"Is that… _blood_ on your chest?" He glanced down and could see crimson beginning to seep through the mustard color of his vest. 

_Ah. That's what Grindelwald must have meant,_ was his last thought before everything tilted then went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wouldn't think Queenie could hear thoughts through the case, seeing as she didn't pick up on the boys' plot to break out of their apartment, which is why she wouldn't pick up that Jacob was inside.


	4. Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of previous chapter, in which care is given from the harm done.

Newt woke up with a start, panic squeezing his lungs and causing him to struggle for breath. He finally got his heart to slow and his breath to ease enough to take notice of his surroundings. The room was familiar, a second bed next to him in the modest accommodations and he realized it was the room he and Jacob had been given by the girls before they left to hunt down his creatures. 

It also helped to jolt his memory when Tina opened the door to peer in. 

“Oh, you’re up!” She widened the door to allow more light to spill in and dropped off a tray on the other bed. She sat at the foot of his bed and looked him over anxiously, her fingers on her legs twitching as if they wanted to reach out and touch, yet she kept them firmly on her pants. “I’m glad to see you open your eyes, Newt. We were all getting worried!”

“Worried…?” He frowned as he thought back on what had happened. There was the subway, Credence… he released Frank and then… 

“You’ve been out for a few days. It took a lot of pot--”

“A few days?!” He threw off the covers and twisted out of bed, hissing when dull pain throbbed in his chest. He barely noted the fact he had nothing but his trousers as he tried to put his feet on the floor. 

“Newt! Hang on a moment!”

“I must check on my creatures, I’ve not been to see them in days! The occamies will need their nest cleaned, and I never got any time to reset Frank’s environment and if some of the other beasts get in there they may be confused--”

“Newt, your creatures are fine, I promise. Jacob and Credence are in there right now, and Jacob’s been taking good care of them!”

“Jacob?” He froze, a sudden fear gripping him. “He doesn’t have any magic and if one of the--”

“Mr. Scamander,” Tina said firmly. “Are you telling me you don’t trust the man you hauled halfway around New York chasing your beasts because you suddenly remembered he has no magic?” Newt stilled and carefully sat back on the bed, eyes flitting to his hands. Tina carefully reached out and set her hand on his knee. Seeing he didn’t reject her touch, she moved closer and squeezed his fingers. “When you collapsed, Jacob was a lifesaver. Queenie and I… were a bit overwhelmed to be honest. I’ve seen magic duels end badly, Newt, but you… there was blood everywhere… I would never admit to his face--and you better not either!--but he’s been a godsend this last week."

“What is it that happened exactly? I remember some parts, but it’s still… fuzzy. Like I’m looking through frosted glass.”

“Probably the shock. I’ll explain, but I need to reapply this paste to your wounds. Will you… be okay with that?” She asked, suddenly shy and looking everywhere but at him. His own cheeks pinked at the implication yet he nodded and scooted back to sit up against the headboard.

Tina brought the tray back over and set it at the foot of the bed, a mixture of potions in tiny cauldrons and bandages tangled with vials loaded the entire thing.

“You should have told us how he attacked you,” she scolded firstly. “There were  _ dozens  _ of wizards and witches there who could have helped you!”

“I didn’t want to be a bother… Besides,” he added quickly upon seeing her thunderous look, “I wanted to ensure that Credence was safe and the muggles were taken care of first.”

“You’re never a bother to me,” she said fiercely. “Not to Queenie or Jacob either! So I don’t want you to ever say that again! I don’t want to see you like that again…” Her voice quieted at the last part and he winced. He had caused them trouble for what he’d done though that had been the farthest intention from his mind. 

“You look better.”

“Yes, unlike  _ some people _ , I ask for help!” Her words were rather harsh, but her tone had a teasing lilt to it and he smiled crookedly at her.

“I will try and copy your good example next time.”

“See that you do. Now. This might sting a bit…” Newt flinched away from her incoming hands and she paused. 

“S-sorry, I just…”

“I know you’re not fond of touching, but this is for your own good. I’d let you do it, but I’m afraid you’d miss some spots.”

“Yes, of course, that’s fine.” Tina hesitated a moment more until he finally forced his shoulders to relax and then she moved forward to smear a cold lotion on his chest. 

“Graves…  _ Grindelwald _ , used electricity on you didn’t he? We could tell by the scarring,” she answered for him. She pulled away and the lotion began to move on its own, tracing down veins of pinched skin and seeping into his pores. “There were burns, massive ones, but I guess from your clothing scraping across them it irritated the skin and they began to bleed. You had them on your chest, shoulders, and back.” He cringed as the potion continued its crawl, hypersensitive as it cascaded down his back. Pain flared with every inch of skin it touched and he focused on the spot above her head. Her hands moved, the wand now between them, to move the potion like a conductor with music. “Queenie was able to repair your clothing, but we had to use countless cleaning spells on your vest. Queenie and I used our magic to lower you into the case where Jacob took over. He had to help us with Credence too and then I went in with you two while Queenie took us back to the apartment. Credence came around about two days ago. He hasn’t acted up any, but you can tell the poor thing’s just exhausted. Between us though, with how much Jacob has baked and Queenie’s cooked, I think he might just be tired from trying to digest it all.” He chuckled then hissed as it caused his ribs to ache. Tina frowned worriedly but continued. “I was able to get you a few days’ grace with the President when she heard you hadn’t boarded a ship yet. She was the one that sent over the supplies as well as someone that was well versed in healing magic. She said…” Her brows furrowed and he lowered his head to meet her eyes. “You’d have scars from this. This is the last dosage I have for you and whatever is left afterwards…”

“It’s fine, Tina,” he assured her and looked down to assess the damage. There were spiderweb veins across his chest, like prongs of lightning that stretched across the skin. They seemed lighter and less puckered than before the potion, but the skin would forever be marred. It looked as if Grindelwald’s magic had been trapped beneath his flesh. Newt suddenly grinned. “It’s like Frank’s lightning.” It may have been given to him by a dark wizard, but it evoked a memory of his magnificent thunderbird and, like all his scars, he would proudly bear it. Tina gave him a curious look before taking his hand and trapping it between the two of hers. 

“It is so  _ good _ to have you back, Newt.” He blinked at her tone, catching a sheen of tears in her eyes. Yet he merely offered a smile in return and patted her hand with his free one. 

“How is Credence other than possibly suffering from overeating?” Tina pulled away and lifted her wand. She tapped his skin and the potion began to float off him, twisting to go into an empty vial. It carried a pink tint to it and he frowned as he watched it slither in the air. 

“As well as can be expected from nearly being killed. He… He killed that woman at the orphanage. Destroyed it.” Her eyes were hard as she focused on her task. “I’m not sorry for her, but I am for him. He’s just…”

“Scared?” Tina nodded sadly and put a cork on the vial once all the substance had been removed from his skin. She stretched out a bandage across his legs and slowly poured a glowing green liquid onto it. 

“But, Queenie has been working with some of the other wizards and witches, and she’s gotten an agreement with the President to rebuild it. Specifically for children with the possibility of magic so this doesn’t happen again. We haven’t seen one in America for centuries, and this has finally been the thing to open everyone’s eyes about what’s happened.”

“Perhaps you might get an apology for what you did to help Credence?” Tina snorted.

“That’ll be the day… I need to put these bandages around you. The essence in them helps remove any remaining magical residue left in your body, as well as correct any final scar tissue it can. After that… Well. You’ll just have a reminder of your adventure won’t you?”

“I certainly will.” She smiled then, all teeth and warmth that had his chest squeezing uncomfortably tight. He leaned forward to allow her to put the bandages around him, grumbling quietly at the cold liquid on them while she finished filling him in. 

Jacob had been staying with them, looking after the boys at night while being in his case in the mornings. Queenie had helped here and there, but had been more focused on her new mission with a ferocity that had Tina beaming with pride as she spoke.

“Here are your clothes. The trousers you’re wearing belong to Jacob, so everything here is what you came with. Try not to get any blood on them.”

“I’ll do my best.” He stood and took the clothes from her with a faint smile. His pants started slipping down his hips and he quickly snatched hold of them. Tina giggled and thankfully turned her eyes away, but he was sure she would feel the heat from his face even if she left the room. Jacob’s pants were shorter on him, but wider at the waist and he kept a tight hold of them while squishing his clothing against his chest. “Thank you, Tina. For you and Queenie both. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“That’s what I’m supposed to say to you,” she replied with a smile. “The bathroom is the second door on the right. Your case is in the kitchen and I’m sure your creatures will be excited to see you.” 

* * *

He went with just his shirtsleeves and trousers with suspenders. With the mishap before, the suspenders were a  _ must _ . It was loose on his bandages and gave him a small amount of comfort. He always liked being in layers. It felt protective and of course it helped guard against sharp little teeth and claws. He descended into his case after the thumbs up from Tina and frowned at the state of his shed. Of course it was usually in a bit of disarray, but this was more than usual and some of his herbs seemed to be wilting. With the little water he had left in the bucket, he divided it among the pots and mentally reminded himself to refill it when he had the chance. Some of these plants were rare and he couldn't risk losing them. He stepped out of his shack and breathed deep, immediately calmed by the familiar scents that wreathed around him. A cacophony of sounds immersed him and he paused to take it all in. It was a place of chaos that created a peace in him and he could feel his body relax the longer he stood in place. 

Of course that calm had to be shattered by a yell. 

Newt started from his revere and darted towards the sound, easily maneuvering through the case that was so well-worn in his muscles he could run it with his eyes closed. The closer he got he could make out the tone to recognize it as Jacob and soon the words became clearer.

“... I told you to stop making off with my good cookware! I’ll find you something else shiny, but these are my grandmother’s spoons!” Newt slowed as he came around the corner to see Jacob holding the Niffler by the scruff of its neck, waving a set of spoons in his hands. Credence was close by, fingers fidgeting with his sleeves as if he wanted to intervene but didn’t have the courage to do so. The Niffler, for its part, was merely trying to claw its way back within reach of the spoons being waved about its snout. “How do you expect me to keep baking youse guys treats if you steal all my stuff?”

“I would hope you’re not filling my creatures with sweets, Jacob…” The baker spun around, the Niffler giving a squeak as it was nearly flung out of his hands. Newt quickly stepped forward to snatch the creature from him, frowning at it. “Now I’ve told you to keep your paws out of the kitchen!” The Niffler scrambled out of his hold and instead of going back to its hoard, flung itself onto his arms and darted up to nuzzle fiercely against his neck. He blinked with surprise before smiling softly and stroking a finger down its back. “I’m glad to see you as well… though not to be scolding you the first meeting back!”

“Newt!” Newt soon found arms tight around his middle, nearly crushing him with their fierceness and a face full of dark hair. “Buddy, thank God you’re up!” He hesitated before slowly bringing his arms around to return the embrace, his smile widening. He looked over the baker to catch Credence's eye and gave him a softer smile.

"Hello Credence."

"Hi… Mr. Scamander."

"Newt, please." Jacob finally pulled away and rubbed fiercely at his eyes to look up at him. 

"You gave us quite a scare, pal. You know how angry I was that I let you go up there with that big 'ole bird after hearing you fell right after?" Newt quickly glanced away, rubbing at the Niffler's fur.

"I'm sorry, Jacob, I didn't mean--"

"Hey, it don't matter now. I wish I made some different choices, but I'm not sorry for being there to help you. I'd do it all over again and more. Though, I'll admit, I'm real glad you're back to taking care of these things. I don't know how you do it all alone! We've been doing our best though haven't we, Credence?" The boy jerked at his name and went rigid when Jacob turned towards him. He gave a jerky nod and Jacob reached out to give his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You wanna show Newt here all we've done?" Credence glanced at Newt who offered another smile and nodded once more. 

Credence grew more confident as they walked, pointing out different things they had done for various creatures. As they walked, his creatures were as enthusiastic to see him as he was to see them. Joining him on his person with Niffler was Dougal around his shoulders, Pickett plus two more Bowtruckles hanging from his pockets, and occamies looped around his legs. Soon he had to stop when the weight became too much and more creatures, including his Nundu darted out of their enclosures to greet him. It made a heavy weight settle in his chest and he made sure to interact with each and every one of his creatures regardless of the time it took. 

By the time he was able to get everyone settled where they needed to go, Tina was calling down into the case for dinner. Credence darted up the ladder, followed by Jacob, but Newt hesitated. He looked around the space, breathing in the familiar air before climbing up after them. A delicious aroma greeted him and he crouched to close his case. He turned towards the kitchen only to duck when a pot came flying out of the cabinet beside him.

“Oh, sorry honey! I didn’t even--Newt!” Queenie abandoned her post at the counter to come and hug him tightly, enfolding him in a haze of sweet perfume. She cupped his cheeks and smiled warmly at him. “Teenie told me you were up and at ‘em! Should’ve known you’d be in that case of yours! I’ll make you something extra special tonight. What’s your favorite meal?” She pulled away and he resisted the urge to rub at the skin she had touched. It left heat across his skin and reminded him of Leta’s fleeting touches in Hogwarts. Yet those hadn’t felt him so full of warmth. 

“I don’t want you to change what you’re cooking on account of me.”

“Mince pie!” Queenie crowed and he paled as she flounced away from him. “I’m getting better at deciphering that accent of yours! Of course you can help, sweetie! We can try a little bit of old fashioned No-maj cooking!” Credence flushed when Queenie caught his gaze but nodded with a small smile, taking the rolling pin she offered him. 

“Queenie, wouldja mind--”

“Go ahead, honey, I don’t mind a thing! I’ll let you know when it’s done!” Jacob relaxed and shed his jacket.

“Thanks, sweetheart. I’m a bit beat.” Newt tore his eyes away from Tina who was chopping vegetables with her wand to watch Jacob shamble towards their borrowed room. He hesitated before following after the baker. 

Jacob plopped onto the bed with a sigh, tossing his jacket to the foot of the bed. 

“Sorry to leave you so soon, pal,” he said. He reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “But I’m going to have to head to work tomorrow and running after all those things in your case has me on my last legs. Only so long the boss’ll believe the excuses I’ve been spouting at him...”

“You didn’t have to take on that responsibility,” Newt murmured as he sat across from him. 

“Course I did! We’re friends aren’t we? I was happy to do my part, and if that’s looking after all your creatures, then I’m willing and able!” He grinned broadly at him and Newt returned it with a lop-sided smile. “You get kinda attached to ‘em you know?”

“Yes… they seemed to like you.” Jacob’s grin widened if that was possible. “I appreciate what you did for me, Jacob. I’ll leave you to rest and we can catch up during dinner.”

“No running after escaped beasts afterwards right?” Newt laughed and stood. 

“I make no promises.” Jacob chuckled and reached down to take his shoes off. Feeling dismissed, Newt ducked out of the room, pulling the doors closed behind him. He paused in the outside of the hall. 

In front of him, he could see the sisters stationed between Credence, taking turns to direct the teen in what he needed to do. Above them, vegetables and broth meshed together and poured themselves into a dough covered pan. It lowered in front of Credence and he took the remaining dough he had been rolling out to carefully place it on top. His case rested safely on the couch and behind him his first friend since Leta was taking a nap after caring for his creatures who were misunderstood even by the wizards and witches that shared their magical world. His chest felt tight and a strange warmth filled him as he watched the scene. No matter what came before, or what would come after, he was grateful for this feeling. 

This feeling of  _ home _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I'll continue this thread of thinking, just because it would change the 2nd movie quite a lot to write about. But maybe if I get the idea for it I will!


	5. Modern AU 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt is on his way to deliver a dragon egg to the Wales Reservation, however, he didn't seem to learn his lesson from New York about keeping a close eye on the eggs he carries.  
> Taking Fantastic Beasts and putting it in the modern era. Still includes magic and is based a few months after the first movie.  
> I literally took the canon timeline of the books/movies and put it through a shredder.

Why didn't he learn his lesson in New York?

He could enchant a jacket to house more pockets than it previously had but he couldn't remember to enchant them to button? 

How could he have lost _another_ egg? What sort of magizoologist was he? His creatures couldn't trust him if he continuously _misplaced_ his charges! He had been distracted by that group of pixies trying to torment a poor dog. He had either lost the egg from his pocket during the argument--one might have taken it for spite--or when he was fleeing when there ended up being more than he had first thought. Pixie bites were certainly no fun to deal with. 

Either way, he was now scouring Guernsey for an egg. 

“Hey!” He jerked at a voice, spinning around to face a young woman peering up at him. Her blonde hair was pinned back in a tight bun, gray eyes narrowed. However it was the creamy brown egg held in her arms that arrested his attention. “I’ve been looking _everywhere_ for you! You dropped your dragon egg!” He stiffened and gripped his case tighter. Her accent was American and he couldn’t detect magic on her.

“Dragon egg? You’re mistaken, that’s--”

“It’s a dragon egg!” She whispered fiercely, holding the egg tighter in her jacketed arms. He was sure this was a muggle, not a witch, so why was she saying it was a dragon egg?

“Dragons aren’t real,” he tried instead. Doubt swept across her features before hardening into determination. 

“It’s bigger than any bird egg, even an ostrich egg, and it has _scales_ on it. It’s warm to the touch like a fire is in it. It _has_ to be a dragon egg. It checks off all the boxes in the books I’ve read!”

“The books?” A crack split across the green flecked scales of the egg and both jumped at the sound. “Thank you for tracking me down, but I must have that egg immediately!” She danced away from his outstretched fingers. 

“It _is_ a dragon egg! You didn’t deny it! I want to see it hatch!”

“Absolutely not!” She glared at him and spiderweb cracks branched off from the large crack down the middle. 

“I could have just made off with this, but I spent my day searching for you instead of enjoying it on this island like all my friends so you _owe_ me! Besides, I love dragons! I’ve read dragon books, watched dragon movies, wear dragon jewelry, own dragon statues, buy clothes with dragons on them, I even have dragons on my phone!” Here she balanced the egg in one arm while fishing her phone out of her pocket with him panicking all the while as the egg tottered in her grasp. “See!” She indeed had a dragon on the screen of her phone. A strange black dragon he’d never seen before and a young man. She hurriedly put it away and cradled the egg safely and he let out a breath of relief. “Let me see!” 

He glanced around nervously and noticed they were drawing attention, people milling around the small town of St. Peter Port with curious side-glances towards them. He couldn’t risk hurting the dragon by using magic to move it towards him with the cracks exposing the infant within and he certainly couldn’t disappear in a crowd of people. 

“Alright, but not here!” She gave him a bright smile and bounced on the balls of her feet excitedly. 

“This is like my dream come true, okay? I _love_ dragons and I’m just… about to explode! Okay, I’m sorry, I’m calming down. Lead the way!” Her brow furrowed. “I’m not sure if this is a good idea, me following a stranger. It’s like weird people that ask if you want to see their dogs… Oh well! I’ll contemplate my bad decisions later! Where are we going?” There was a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Tina berating him for getting into this situation. 

He swung his head around and finally noted an alley. He gestured with his head and started off. Her steps were quick behind him, struggling to keep up with the long strides he was making. He motioned her into the alley first, waving his case slightly then followed behind her. The alley was dark with buildings to block the sun and flags swung across one edge of a building to another while flowers decorated nearly every windowsill. He tugged his wand from his sleeve and she stiffened, clutching the egg tight enough he could hear another crack. 

“Oh my God, you _are_ going to kill me!”

“What? No, this is a wand. See?” He held it out briefly and she frowned at it. 

“A… wand? Like a wizard?” He allowed a brief smile before turning and waving his wand. An opaque wall slowly rose around them, curving above them like a dome and her eyes widened to a point he was slightly concerned they’d pop out of her skull. “What…” She reached tentatively forward and put her fingers against it, ripples extending out from her touch like a stone in a pond. 

“It’s a barrier. It wouldn’t do for more muggles to get involved in this.”

“More _what?_ ” He stuck his wand between his teeth and ripped his jacket off. He whipped it around like a scarf and crouched, pulling it tightly together until it could resemble something like a nest. He cast a warming charm on the fabric and flicked his wand towards the girl. 

“Set it right here.” She knelt and gently nestled the egg into the jacket. She seemed more nervous now where she had been excited, eyeing his barrier and wand with wariness. 

“It won’t explode right?”

“That’s Hungarian dragon eggs.”

“Hungarian…?” She sat back and crossed her legs under her, resting her elbows on her knees. “I’ve never heard of that type of dragon. What is this dragon?”

“A Common Welsh Green.”

“That seems kinda rude to call it common…” He glanced up at her to find her staring at the egg. “Anything so incredible could never be considered common to me.” She looked at him and he immediately shifted his gaze elsewhere. “I’m Morgan by the way. Morgan Willems.”

“Newt Scamander.” She snorted and he frowned. 

“Your parents seemed to like amphibians, Mr. Salamander.”

“It’s _Scamander_ …” 

A snout poked through the egg and they straightened with rapt attention. Pieces of the egg were hacked away from within and Newt waved a hand vaguely at her.

“Make sure you don’t try and interfere with the hatching process,” he whispered. “It builds up their strength, and if they can’t hatch out of their own egg it may cause problems in the future.” Morgan nodded and scooted closer, leaning as far as she dared and watching without blinking. The top of the egg finally came apart and a scaled head popped out. The dragon looked between them with watery, unfocused eyes. Its large head swayed on a neck too thin to support its weight. The dragon lifted its wings sluggishly to break the rest of the egg and toppled out. Its head fell onto Morgan’s knee and its wings flopped uselessly beside it. Its scales were a deep emerald green, covered in sticky liquid. Little horns arched back from the base of its skull and no other spikes or spines adorned it. It almost looked smooth like blown glass. 

Newt rolled his sleeves up and eased forward. Its yellow eyes were still glassy and he stuck his wand between his lips to reach for the creature. He was careful to avoid its half-hearted nip and instead put one finger on its forehead then slid it down its neck. He checked its throat for any deformations, then the nubs of its wings and down the bones of them. His finger looped back to its spine and continued down to the tip of its tail. 

It squeaked and squirmed at his touching until it finally could squish its head between Morgan’s knees and curl its tail around itself. Morgan sniffed and he looked up from his examination to see her with a fist by her mouth. 

“Ms. Willems?”

“It’s real right…?” She asked quietly. “I’m not dreaming? It’s not a really fancy robot or something like that?” 

“It’s a real dragon, I assure you.” She laughed brokenly, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. 

“I just… this is amazing… They’re _real_ … they’re actually, really, _real_!” He unzipped a pocket from his pants and pulled out a cloth, weaving another warming spell into the fabric before offering it to her. 

“Its scales are still soft so it's trying to find warmth. If you would, clean off its scales gently. We don’t want any of that fluid hardening on its scales.” Morgan looked ready to burst and she took the cloth with hesitance. He mimed a circular motion in the air and she nodded eagerly before turning her attention to the dragon. Her hands shook but he watched her do her task with reverence. Something not many still held for the human eating creature. Most saw them as pests worthy of only extinction and there were few who looked at them with the respect they deserved. This girl reminded him a lot of his other muggle friend. 

“She’s beautiful.”

“She?” Morgan didn’t look up from her work, the dragon trying to escape under her folded legs as she ran the cloth carefully over its scales. 

“Most reptile females are smaller aren’t they? I know I’ve never seen a baby dragon before, but she seems to be a smaller size?” Newt bent down to look at the dragon and poked it gently on the hind leg. It yipped and whipped around towards him where he caught its jaw between his fingers. He pressed on the bottom of its jaw to keep it from opening, effectively sealing its mouth together. The dragon whelp might be newborn, but it would still have needle-sharp teeth lining its gums.

“Here, there’s still a little fluid on the face.” Morgan shifted onto her belly to reach the dragon who squirmed in his hold. “You can tell the gender of this specific dragon by the spiral of its horns. This curls in a counterclockwise motion to the tip of the horn. That indicates that indeed you’re correct in your hypothesis that this dragon is a female. The horns usually also curve back away from a female’s head. Though it’s not in all species of dragons that the female is smaller. Some have larger females though it’s not really known why.”

“You mentioned other dragon types. What are they? I only know about the dragons from books I read like ice dragons or wyverns…” She moved her hand away and he released the dragon only to pick her up by the middle. The dragon squawked indignantly at him and he gestured with his head to the jacket. Morgan scooped it up and he deposited the dragon into it. The fabric was still warm to the touch and the dragon burrowed into it with a content sigh. The woman’s features lit up with pleasure as she cradled the whelp close, looking at him with an excited grin. 

“Her scales seem to be hardening nicely, but we need to get her back in my case where I can examine her further.”

“Your case? You’re going to put a _dragon_ into your case?” He gave her a crooked smile and flipped his suitcase over. 

“You’d be surprised what I can fit in there.” He popped it open and reached up for the dragon. She hesitated before carefully transferring the dragon from her arms to his. He set the dragon into the case, having her biome already shifted to accommodate her. He flicked his wand and the jacket-clad dragon floated down into the mountainous forest scene prepared for her. He clicked it shut with a few murmured reassurances to his other creatures and stood to face her. 

“That was… so incredible! I never imagined…” Morgan met his gaze and smiled softly. “Thank you. I’m sorry I was a bit… _pushy_ before.” It didn’t really matter how much she had seen. He would have agreed either way considering he was going to have to Obliviate her. Something twisted in his gut at the thought of that, but he merely replied to her with a small smile of his own.

“Well, thank you for keeping her safe all that time and finding me. I would have been devastated if anything happened to her.” He flicked his wrist and the barrier disappeared as he slipped his wand into a pocket on his pants for safekeeping. Her lips twisted into a grin. 

“Yeah! I’m glad I found her even if I did miss my cruise excursion!” Her face suddenly went slack. “My cruise excursion… My _cruise!_ What time is it?” She looked frantically at a watch on her wrist and gave a short screech of panic. “It’s past the departing time! Oh my God, it’s past the departing time!” 

She rushed past him in a flurry of blue and blond and he spun to watch her go. He stepped towards her direction then hesitated. He still needed to check on the dragon whelp and even if he hadn’t Obliviated her-- _What do you mean you didn’t Obliviate her?!_ \--who would believe her if she said she had watched a dragon be born? But she had spent her day trying to find him, protecting an egg she had no reason to and then treating the dragon with respect once it was born. He had no idea what she had been talking about, but obviously she was in trouble and he couldn’t just leave her to whatever fate she was so terrified of. He took a breath then ran in the direction that she had disappeared to. It took him a few moments to catch up with her. She must have broken into an absolute sprint to get so far ahead of him. He found her on the edge of the dock, staring at a boat in the distance. 

“Ms. Willems?” She jolted at her name and looked back at him tearfully.

“My cruise ship left without me… I mean, I was a couple of hours late, and my phone was on silent so I missed a lot of messages but… I’ve only heard of this happening on the news or horror stories from others…” Morgan gestured frantically at the ship. “How am I supposed to get back onto it? I’m on an _island_! I’ll have to get a plane to our next stop and… I don’t have my passport with me…” She trailed off weakly and her arms dropped to her side. Her fingers were trembling even as the clenched the bottom of her sweatshirt. His heart twisted guiltily in his chest. If she hadn’t been searching for him, she would have left on time… 

“Do you have a picture of the inside of your boat?”

“Wh-what?”

“I may have a way to get you back on your ship, but I need a visual of it.” 

“Oh! Um… I think I might have taken some pictures with my phone. Is that okay?” He nodded and she scrubbed at her eyes with a sleeve before fishing her phone from her pocket and flicking through it. She finally reached what she was looking for and flipped it to show the screen. A picture of a spiraling staircase greeted him, the lights making it almost appear encased in gold. Tasteful chairs and tables were scattered around it and in the distance he could see a circular clearing where a colorful tile decoration encrusted the floor. 

“That’s fine. I’m going to apparate us there.” She gave him a blank stare and Newt simply offered his hand. “You’ll feel a pulling sensation, usually in your gut, but it won’t hurt you. I mean, I’ve heard cases of vomiting upon arrival and there’s splinching that could happen…” Her eyes were wide now and he quickly averted his gaze down. “It’ll be fine.” She hesitated before taking his hand. Her fingers were smooth against his skin and he squeezed them encouragingly. “Alright, here we go.” He got the picture of the ship’s location in his head and focused on it and they disappeared with a pop. 

They reappeared at the base of the staircase and he quickly whipped them behind a pillar, Morgan stumbling against him. Her hand was gripping his painfully while her other hand was fisted in his shirt. She was breathing heavily with her head bowed to where her forehead was almost touching his chest. 

“Ms. Willems?”

“Did we just teleport?” She asked in a strained whisper, head snapping up to look about wildly. “How on God’s green earth did we get here?!”

“It’s…” He tilted his head and searched for words before shaking his head. “Teleporting is close enough.” She slowly released him and patted herself down.

“I’m in one piece… and we’re actually on the ship…!” Morgan giggled, a bit on the hysterical side if he thought about it, then darted close to give him a quick embrace. “That was terrifying! But thank you! I didn’t know what I was going to do… I should probably go to the help desk and make sure they know I’m on the ship…” She moved away from him as quickly as she had come and looked around a little more slowly now, shock still clear on her features. “I keep thinking I’ll blink and all of this will have been some crazy dream… Um. What will you do now, Newt?” He blinked owlishly at her, his first name foreign on her tongue. 

“Well… I need to check on the new dragon. Perhaps… you would like to help me?” Her entire face lit up like he had cast Lumos on her skin. 

“Yes! Let me just check with the desk to make sure everything’s kosher then we can go to my room! That way you don’t have to worry about… what did you call them?”

“Muggles,” he replied with a smile. 

"What even is that…?" 

"People without magic."

"You really have magic?" She began walking off and he followed quickly behind. "I mean I know you had a wand and we just teleported, but saying it out loud is just… weird you know? Wait. So I'm a _muggle_? I'm going to think of a new name. That one is terrible."

The service lady had been surprised to see her when they hadn't apparently registered her coming back. She questioned Morgan's bogus story on slipping by the attendants by accident until she was nearly blue in the face but, besides those employees most likely being wrongfully scolded, everything seemed fine.

Morgan's room was near the bottom of the boat with a single bed and dresser as well as a small port window too high to see anything out of. 

"It's not much, at all, but it's cheap and good to collapse in after a long day! Want me to order food in?"

"Ah, no, thank you. I'm fine." He closed the door behind him. "May I?" 

"Oh, sure!" He crouched and set his case down, unlatching it and flipping the top open. Without a word he stood then disappeared down. His feet found the familiar rungs of the ladder as he went down and he hopped off the last one. 

"Come down!" He called up. There was silence then the light from above was blocked. He caught her glancing down at him, eyes as round as saucers and jaw dropped. 

"It's like the TARDIS!"

"The what?" Rather than answer she started down, foot slipping on one rung and she caught herself with a yelp.

"Warn someone there's a ladder!" She snipped at him. Considering Jacob's fall the first time maybe he should… Morgan stepped down and peered around his workspace with a raised brow. “You have _a lot_ of things in this area... “ She scooted out of his way as he rushed around to fill the buckets he had laid out before with all the necessary meals for his creatures. 

"We'll make our way towards the dragon, but as we go I'll need to check on everyone else. Take these."

"Everyone else?" He ignored her question and snatched two buckets, throwing a third over his arm before bumping the door open with his hip and walking out. Morgan followed with her own set of buckets and froze outside the door. A bamboo forest greeted them and to the left stood tall cliffs bathed in moonlight. His swooping evil arced above them with a screech, faeries rushing after it. 

"Come along, this way!" Newt took off without waiting, disappearing into the bamboo thicket. She scrambled after him and he led her through the enclosures.

The Bowtruckles were looking good--Pickett still wouldn't leave his shirt pocket--and Dougal was peacefully sleeping in his tree. The Niffler was organizing his hoard, sniffing at them briefly before judging them shiny-less and returning to his work. The Mooncalves were fed, the gnomes sated, and the Doxy eggs checked. 

"How do you feel about snakes?" He asked as they ducked into a cavern. Light filtered in from the entrance and exit of the room, reflecting off the wet rocks that hung down from the ceiling. 

"I like them," she replied. "Though I'm concerned why you're asking me." He set down his remaining bucket and turned as a shape materialized from the gloom. Three large serpentine heads appeared, tongues flicking out inquisitively. Spines lined its heads on the sides and down the center to cover most of its body like that of a thorny devil. Its coloring helped it to blend into its surroundings. The middle head wore a large cone around its head and Morgan stared up at the creature. "I can see why you asked now… Um. Why does that one have a cone?"

"He has it because he keeps biting the other two! Just because they said they don't like your ideas does **not** mean you can bite them!" Newt scolded. The middle head merely hissed at him, whipping its neck to whack the plastic into the other two heads. "If you keep up with that behavior I'll make your meal be last!" It hissed again but settled down, the other two heads seeming to mutter with annoyance on either side.

"Do you have to feed them all at once? They had this two headed snake on TV and they said it couldn't eat unless both got food. Then they had to clean the heads or one would smell the food on the other head and try to eat them!"

"Normally the other Runespoor heads team up on the right head because it's so critical, but we're working on that aren't we?" The right head swayed as if it didn't agree one way or the other. "But yes, they usually need to all be fed at once, if only to avoid their bickering." He whipped his wand towards the bucket and three carcasses rose up. He flung them towards the snake and all three heads snapped out to claim one. One carcass clipped the cone before the snake's long tongue slipped around it to drag it into its maw. Newt was moving on and Morgan hurried after him. 

"Do they have a name?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You've named a few of your monsters--"

"Creatures," he corrected.

"So do they have one?" 

"No."

"They should be named after the Fates." He glanced back at her, noting she had a thoughtful expression on her face. "You know, the three Greek Fates? I'll look up the names later!"

"You're taking a lot of this in stride."

"I like animals! I've always loved the mythical creatures in books and finding out they're real? It's incredible! Even if I haven’t heard of some of these… Though, the faeries were a bit of a disappointment." He couldn't hold back a smile at that.

"They seemed to get one of the best representations in the muggle realm."

"The only thing I'm not really big on is insects. But mostly spiders. I just… can't stand them. The little ones I can ignore but when they're all big and hairy? Nope!"

"You just haven't been introduced to the right spiders."

"No, Newt, it's not about introductions, I really don't need to meet any spi--Oh dear God." 

He pulled up short at the breathless finish of her sentence and turned towards her horrified gaze. A spider the size of a boulder was crouched in the sandy dunes of a tropical scape. Thick black hair covered its massive body while eight beady eyes stared back at them. One of its legs had been chopped at the second segment, giving it a lopsided look.

"Oh no, oh God, no, no, Newt, _Newt_ , no, that's a spider. But it's like a car! Oh my God, oh God!" Morgan's voice was growing more high pitched with every word and the bucket in her hands was shaking.

"Now, Morgan, calm down." Her head snapped in his direction.

"Calm down? _Calm down_ ?! There's a spider that could literally stomp on _me_ and you want me to _calm down?!"_

"I'm not excited to see you either!" The spider rasped irritably. "I might have agreed to not eat humans while I'm recovering, but surely you can make an exception for this screechy thing!"

"IT TALKS!" Morgan screamed. Her skin had gone white as a sheet and Newt stepped towards her worriedly.

" _It_ has a name!" The spider shot back. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. No, I just can't. I'm talking to a _spider_ …"

"Terry is an Acromantula. They're capable of human speech. I found him in a circus and promised to take him back home."

"HE SAID HE EATS PEOPLE!"

"That's no excuse to leave him to be tortured for the amusement of humans," he replied firmly. Morgan stared at him, long and hard, before glancing back at the battered spider.

"S-sorry for being rude." Terry grunted in acknowledgement and Morgan took one last look at him before taking to her heels and booking it out of the enclosure. 

"I'm sorry, Terry, she's new to this. After I drop off this dragon at the reservation I promise we'll be stopping by your island next." 

"You better," the spider grumbled. "Can't live off your blood donation forever."

He found her sitting with her knees drawn to her chest under the shade of the rock his Nundu used to occupy. He was rather grateful now he had been able to transfer it back to Africa before she had come in. That would have made for a dangerous hiding spot. 

“Morgan?” He questioned softly and crouched a distance from her to give her space. “I apologize. I didn’t think seeing him would give you such a fright.”

“I don’t know why spiders creep me out,” she mumbled. “I see them close up in nature shows and just get chills! But that was like those nature shows on steroids!” She looked up at him briefly and he noted her fingers were dug into her knees so tightly her knuckles were white. “I feel bad because of what you say, but I am so freaked out right now I can’t think straight! It was like the spiders from the Hobbit but actually real. Like a scene from a nightmare…” Newt sat across from her and stretched his legs out so the side of his foot brushed hers. 

“You asked me about the different types of dragons and I didn’t have time to list them. Would you care to hear it now?” She nodded vigorously and he put his hands behind him to steady himself. He went through the species of dragons, their habitats and diets. The differences between a Hebridean Black and a Hungarian Horntail. The history of attempting to use Urkainian Ironbellies in World War 1 as well as the varieties of Fireball dragons. Morgan slowly began to unwind until her legs were stretched out opposite of his and her body leaning forward to listen. He couldn’t hold her gaze for long, he never could, but whenever he did he appreciated the full attention she was giving him. Not many people could listen raptly to him prattle on about his creatures. While they had definitely gotten more protection over the years, and they had certainly disposed of many blackmarkets, magical creatures were still held to a lesser degree than humans. Trying to educate his fellow wizards and witches would most likely take not only his life, but generations afterwards.

“I think I’m okay now, Newt. Thank you for calming me down. But um. I don’t want to go that way. Ever again.”

“Fair enough.” He hoisted himself up and she followed suit, taking up her bucket once more. “If you’re feeling up to it, let’s go check on our new dragon friend.” Morgan had brightened back to her usual intensity and kept his pace eagerly. He was glad to see her back in high spirits and as they walked, they chatted over the dragon information he had basically poured over her. 

The scenery he had designed for the dragon was based on the mountains of Wales, deep green of the forests dotting the mountains that stretched on the canvas walls which separated the rooms. There were a few tall pine trees as well as others with bare branches, one of which was occupied by their dragon whelp. The green dragon gave a shriek and leaped off the tree. Her wings snapped open and she glided down towards them. Morgan quickly moved forward with outstretched arms where the dragon crashed into her chest. She squeaked and sank tiny claws into her jacket to keep steady, wings slapping against her arms as she struggled to hang on. Morgan grimaced but looped an arm under her hind legs and the dragon’s tail wrapped around her arm tightly before her wings pinned to her spine. 

“She’s only a few hours old and already climbing trees?” Newt picked up his jacket and shook it out, leaves falling from the fabric. He had to use his wand to close up tears and rips the little dragon had created then threw the coat back on. 

“Dragons don’t usually raise their young, only select few dragon species do. So, most dragon whelps are ready to fend for themselves by the end of the first day. Once their scales have fully hardened and wings dried out, they are ready to move. Though, the flying will come later. She’s very clever to have figured out the gliding already though… it seems her landings are in need of some work.” Newt moved closer and the dragon yipped at him, bumping her forehead into his outstretched fingers. He slid his fingers down her head and spine, tapering off at the tip of her tail. “Her scales feel hard and I can’t detect any malformations in her spine. When her wings were extended there were no tears in the membranes or bends in the bones.” The dragon nestled her head under Morgan’s chin, the woman having to pull her head back to avoid a horn cutting her skin. The little dragon endured Newt’s examination by Morgan’s calming strokes to her snout and eye ridges. 

“She seems rather relaxed with us.”

“We were the first thing she saw when she hatched so to her, we are her parents. You cleaned her as a mother would do.” He looked up to see Morgan looking at him with shiny eyes.

“I’m a dragon mother…?”

“For the moment.” Morgan gave the dragon a squeeze hard enough to make her squeak with protest. 

“I’m going to be the best dragon mother ever. Game of Thrones will have nothing on me!” She released the dragon from her embrace and the whelp clambered up to lay across her shoulders. Her head drooped on one, and her tail curled over the other. “What happened to her real parents…?” She asked. 

Newt flicked his wrist and strips of meat lifted from the bucket Morgan had abandoned in order to catch the green dragon. He spread the pieces to different parts of the enclosure, some hanging on branches and others hidden under leaves. 

“I found her being illegally auctioned off. Some wizards and witches like to own dragons and the Common Welsh is one of the more subdued species. It boasts your capabilities as a wizard to handle a dragon, but also provides an excellent guard. That is, if you can train it. I’m not sure where they got them from, I left the questioning for the authorities and tried to save the eggs. Unfortunately, the other eggs in her nest I wasn’t able to save. They didn’t have them at their proper temperature and this little one was the only one that made it. The others… froze. Both parents of Welsh dragons take care of the eggs. They take turns warming the nest as the mountains they reside in are too cold to properly hatch them. If they aren’t taken care of… well.”

“That’s why she saw us as her family. You kept her warm all this time, so she was used to your scent, then I carried her looking for you. But she’s… all alone.” Her gray eyes were sharp and angry. “Because it doesn’t matter if people have magic or not. They’re selfish.” Her face softened when the dragon lifted her head with a soft chirp of concern. “But that’s not everyone… There’s also humans like you.”

“Me?”

“You take care of all these creatures. Even the ones that others, including myself, would choose to hate or despise. You love them.” She smiled warmly at him and his chest tightened. “That’s kinda amazing you know?”

 _You never met a monster you couldn’t love_.

“Yes, well… thank you,” he said awkwardly. “Let’s go ahead and feed her shall we?” Morgan pried the whelp from her shoulders to put her on the ground and Newt crouched, taking the last piece of meat from the bucket. “Alright little one, try this.” He tossed it in the air and the dragon got on her hind legs to snap it up. Her razor sharp teeth made short work of the meat and a forked tongue swiped across her jaws. “Good girl. Now, find the rest!” He waved his hand and the dragon took off like a shot. She dove into a pile of leaves and emerged victorious with a scrap of meat trapped in her mouth. 

“Where are you going to take her?” Morgan asked while the dragon zipped back and forth to uncover every sliver Newt had hidden. 

“There’s a reservation in Wales that I’ll be going to next to take her. As much as I’d love to keep her to study, she needs to be with her own kind as well as with wizards that understand what she needs.”

“You seem to know quite a bit.”

“Not nearly enough. I don’t know if I’ll ever be done researching with so many creatures to find.”

“You’re still finding new ones?” He caught her eyes and smiled faintly. 

“I doubt we’ll ever find them all. They’ve had centuries of experience hiding from humans after all.”

“I wish I could go with you to the reservation,” Morgan said wistfully. “We are going to Wales, but Conwy. There’s a castle there I wanted to see. I didn’t have the money to sign up for the group trip, but I thought maybe I could catch a ride there.”

“You’re seeing all of the UK?”

“Yes! Well, sorta. My friends and I pooled all our money together to take a cruise around the British Isles. So far we’ve just seen Britain. We’re going to go to Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Paris, France. Only one day though which is kind of a bummer, but we get to go to Loch Ness!” Her eyes bugged and she spun on him so fast he took a step back. “Is the Loch Ness monster real?!”

“It really loves the popularity it’s received.” Her mouth curved into an impossibly large smile and she clapped her hands together once. 

“That’s awesome.”

“When are you going to Wales?” 

“I believe we should be in port tomorrow morning… That’s the neat thing about cruises. You wake up in a new city every morning!” He smiled and nodded. He might not wake up in a new place every day, but traveling the world in search of creatures certainly had its perks. The island where he would return Terry however would most likely be his last stop before going back to London. He needed to hammer out his remaining chapters and rest before embarking on his next trip. One that would hopefully include New York. He wasn’t very good at making friends, but he was certainly going to hang onto the ones he had.

Newt nearly winced at the reminder that one friend had been lost to him because of what he was.

Just like what Morgan was. 

They were certainly more lenient in this day and age, but the secret of true magic was still to be hidden away and never revealed. Marriage to a muggle was heavily frowned upon and even friendship was discouraged. Though wizards in general always seemed to enjoy having something to tilt their noses up at regardless of bloodline or magical strength. 

“Newt?” He jumped at her hand on his wrist and jerked away as if she had burned him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, you were just drifting off. You seem upset. Are you alright?” What he wouldn’t give for one last adventure with that friend who had been so rare a human to look at his creatures like he did… 

“Morgan, I was thinking… Do you think your friends would mind if you came with me to the reservation?” Her face went blank before exploding into a smile so big he could have sworn her skin ripped at the cheeks.

“Are you serious? I can go with you? I won’t get you in trouble?” If he cut a few corners and was more careful this time, the answer to that would be _no_. 

“No, it should be fine.” Her excitement dimmed.

“ _Should_ be?” 

“It will be.” She gave him a hard stare and he kept her gaze until it was drawn away by the dragon whelp knocking her head against their ankles. “You found them all?” She chirped and flapped her wings, chest puffing proudly. Morgan laughed and bent down, offering her arm which the dragon immediately climbed to settle on her shoulders once more. 

“Aren’t you a smart girl? You’ll be the talk of all those reservation dragons!” Morgan caught his eye and smiled. “Should I wear a jacket?” 

Newt and Morgan talked easily as they finished the rounds, mostly with Newt rambling about each creature that they passed now that he found Morgan was an attentive listener. The dragon whelp stayed curled on her shoulder, sometimes moving to Newt’s when they got close enough, much to Pickett’s horror. The little Bowtruckle stayed hidden deep in his shirt pocket and he subtly directed the dragon’s curious snout away from his hiding spot. 

“Newt, I know I’ve seen some weird things today, but are those… Dodo birds?”

“Ah, yes, they are. At least, that’s the muggle word for them. We call it a Diricawl in the wizarding world."

“But they’re extinct.”

“That is what’s thought, but only because they have a special ability that allows them to--” His explanation was cut off by an excited screech from the dragon who then leaped off Morgan’s shoulder towards the birds.

“Freya, don’t!” A second before her claws would have hit the Diricawls, they disappeared in a flurry of feathers. The green dragon landed roughly on all fours then stumbled and flopped to the ground with a squeak of surprise. Feathers floated up around her lazily and Morgan whirled around. “Where did they go? Oh!” Behind him, the birds fluffed their feathers before quickly scurrying away. “They can teleport like you!”

“In a sense, yes. That’s their ability I was going to mention. They can teleport short distances away, basically vanishing at will. However, your ancestors saw the feathers left and thought they had killed them. We just thought it was for the best to keep their existence hidden since it seemed to create an awareness for endangered species. But, ah, did you call her _Freya_?" Morgan froze and the dragon looked up at them with a cry, feathers stuck to her scales. 

"I know I shouldn't name her," she whispered. She crouched and began cleaning off the feathers. "But I wanted to call her something other than dragon."

"Freya is… the Norse goddess?" Morgan picked up the dragon and held her close, keeping her eyes downcast.

"Yes. The goddess of love and beauty. A couple other things too, but we'll focus on those things specifically. Mostly the beauty thing. Isn't that right, little one?" The dragon squeaked and tilted her head back, and Morgan bumped her nose against her snout with a grin. 

"Freya is a beautiful name." Morgan turned that grin onto him and he returned it with a shy one of his own. "Thank you for helping me care for my creatures, but we've finished up with everyone. We should return Freya to her enclosure." Her face crumbled and Newt could understand. Even after finding humans who were trustworthy, his favorite time was with his creatures. Or even beasts that weren't his and simply gave him the chance to record them. 

"I could stay down here…"

"Morgan." She squeezed Freya gently before offering her to Newt. 

"Alright. Go on to daddy." He took the squirming whelp and held her tightly.

"I'm usually the mum role." Morgan laughed and he smiled widely.

"Sorry, didn't mean to steal that from you. Go to mommy then, or mummy I guess!" Morgan glanced around until she found the shed and her smile dimmed until it disappeared completely. "You won't leave… Right?" She whispered. "I won't wake up and realize this has been a dream?" He blinked and Morgan tilted her head back to look at him. "This is real… isn't it?" Jacob had thought this was a dream too, but he had taken the belief in stride. Had he been this way too? Thinking it would all vanish in an instant?

Was he this upset when he chose to step into that rain? 

"I'll still be here. So will everyone else."

"Terry doesn't have to be though," she added with a small smile and Newt chuckled.

"Sorry to disappoint, but he'll be here too. Though I'm sure he won't be at the morning welcome party."

"That's perfectly fine, I wouldn't want to trouble him! Okay… goodnight." She reached out and gave Freya a scratch behind her horns as well as another smile at Newt before going into the cabin. He could hear her steps on the ladder and the resounding click of the latches closing behind her. Freya whined and Newt cooed at her quietly while walking back to her enclosure. 

"Just like I told her, she'll be there tomorrow morning so there's no need to fret."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some notes!
> 
> 1\. I know in the deleted scene the little Runespoor had the cone, not the big one, but I thought it would be more bewildering to see a giant snake in a cone then a little one.  
> 2\. After being away from New York for a few months, I think he would have gotten a few more beasts, including Terry our giant talking spider. He's a man-eating beast, so obviously Newt can't just throw some human flesh in for him to eat, but I think for the moment, human blood drizzled over animal flesh might be enough to satisfy him. Which is why he mentions the 'blood donation'.  
> 3\. The phrase, 'You've never met a monster you couldn't love' is in the second movie, which is after this event takes place HOWEVER. With how he responds to it in CoG, it makes me think it was said before. Like a well-worn argument they've had, so it would come back to him at this moment.  
> 4\. I chose whelp for the dragon baby. I've seen whelp, hatchling, wyrmling, and a few others when I searched so I just went with whelp.  
> 5\. Lastly, this is set after New York so he's still comparing his experiences to that, mainly Jacob. That seemed to be one of his first friends in a long while, and he was obviously very hurt to lose him in the second movie. Which makes him a little more OOC in some ways when it comes to not letting Morgan go in this fic. He doesn't particularly want to go through that again so instead, he extends the time because while he may hear Tina in his head SHE'S NOT THERE TO BE HIS SELF-CONTROL. 
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	6. Modern AU 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking the dragon to the reservation is the easy part, toting a muggle along might be a little harder.

This dragon was becoming as bad as his Niffler.

He didn't sleep very much, he never did, but he had awoke from his doze to find Freya gone. None of his other creatures seemed to have hurt her, but neither could they help him find her either. Even Terry, after his blood dosage, couldn't tell him where she went. He scoured his case until he had turned over nearly every rock and disturbed every beast he owned before coming to the frightful realization she wasn't in his case. Instead she was lost on a boat _full_ of muggles, trapped in layers of metal and nowhere close to a place she could escape. 

Newt scrambled out of his case, half dressed and determined to fight an entire ship full of people if need be. He nearly crashed into the side of a bed and tripped over his case when he jerked back to avoid it. A snort came from the bed and he carefully sat on his knees. Morgan was sleeping on her side facing him, arm nearly hanging off the bed and blond hair a halo around her head. But wrapped in that hair laid the little green dragon that had been the cause of all his concern. His shoulders sagged with relief. He should have known that Freya would have snuck out to join Morgan. He reached for the dragon and paused when a growl was his response. The dragon wasn't awake, but her instincts seemed stronger than he thought. He tested this by instead trying to grab Morgan's shoulder. The growls increased in intensity until he moved his hand away. He tugged his notebook from his journal and flipped to a blank page. There were few left so he made a mental note to swap out for a new notebook soon. He quickly scribbled his new findings down as Freya's breathing settled to normal. 

"New…t?" He glanced up from his writing to see Morgan blearily looking over at him. "I can't move my head…?" 

"That's because of the dragon sitting in your hair."

"S'what?" 

"It's fascinating! She seems to have gotten loose for the sole purpose of finding you. Then she made a nest from your hair. I wonder if they make nests out of the scales of their parents or if the nests they hatch in are also what they stay in until they reach maturity. It must have been such a heavy instinct to be in a nest that smelled of her parents that she created her own. I should have left my jacket in her enclosure--"

"Newt?"

"Yes?"

"Get her out."

"Well I would but, ah, let me show you." He set his pen and notebook to the side then reached out for the green dragon. Freya growled without opening her eyes and when Newt changed course for Morgan instead the growling deepened. Morgan sighed and moved her arms from under the sheets to blindly reach for the dragon. 

"Freyaaa," she whined. "Move…! The boat's still moving… it's early!" Freya ignored her to instead burrow deeper into the pillow which caused Morgan's head to tilt back as her hair was pulled further under the dragon. "I bet Daenerys never dealt with this…" 

"I should document this." Morgan turned a sharp glare on him and his fingers froze halfway to his journal. "I should help you."

"Yes. You should."

It took Newt stripping his jacket to create a new nest to get Freya out of her hair. Morgan had sat up with a glare towards the dragon who yawned and ignored her. Newt pointedly avoided her gaze and kept his hand over his mouth to hide his grin. Her hair was knotted and thrown about her head in wild sprouts like the head of an onion. Or maybe a surprised griffin. 

He curled up on the floor with the dragon while Morgan retreated to the bathroom. He wrote his notes and sketched a sleeping Freya between the words. It was almost an hour before Morgan re-emerged from the room with her hair now braided behind her. Her pajamas had been traded for jeans and a t-shirt that sported a list of the Muppets on it.

"Do you know how long it took to get all those tangles out that _you_ created?" Freya looked at her with a friendly wiggle of her rump and Morgan sighed. "I can't stay mad at you. I thought I'd be better at the whole _bad cop_ parent thing…" Her gaze turned on Newt and he sat straight. "The buffet should be open. Want to get some breakfast?" 

"I think I'll check on everyone."

"I'll bring you something! What about a muffin? Or…What was that stuff in London? Black pudding?"

"Oatmeal will be fine." Her nose scrunched and she waved her hand while snatching her phone and card. 

"I'll get you a plate of pastries. And some tea!" She checked her phone and nodded. "I'll bring a bunch of stuff for us to share. No way anyone will be up now."

"You don't have to go through that trouble."

"Of course I do! We're going on an adventure today and we can't do that on empty bellies!" She shot him a wink and he returned it with a smile before she disappeared out the door. 

Morgan came back almost an hour later, laden down with plates and bowls on a tray she carried. He held the door open for her as she hurried in, squeezing past him and laying her goodies down on the bed. 

“Did you make my bed?”

“I had some extra time…”

“Sorry it took so long--”

“You’re perfectly fine, Morgan. I just get restless and I had already taken care of everyone in the case as well as Freya. What all did you get?” He sat on the floor and crossed his legs under him as she brought the tray to the floor.

“Well, first off, remind me to take this tray back. No one was using it at the time, but I’m about 99% sure passengers aren’t to use them. I got tea, I wasn’t sure what you liked so I hope the breakfast blend is okay.”

“That’s alright.” He took the offered cup and savored the warmth that seeped into his fingers. She uncovered plates full of bacon and sausage and eggs while another was loaded with muffins and danishes and bagels. There was a bowl of oatmeal with sugar and butter packets beside it. Glasses of water and juice balanced precariously on the full tray. “You really did bring a little bit of everything.”

“I wanted to make sure we got happy with whatever I could find! That and everything looked good. I woke up starving this morning. Probably because I didn’t eat dinner after I helped you.”

“I’m sorry--” She cut off his apology with a wave of her hand.

“I was too wound up to eat and I didn’t even think about it since I was so excited. I mean, I saw an actual _dragon_! So I’ll just eat a lot now and bring snacks with us! I got these apples and bananas to put in my backpack. They’ll allow snacks at the dragon reservation right?”

“As long as it’s not jerky, I think they’ll be fine,” Newt said and took a sip of his tea. 

“Alright, sounds good! Here’s your silverware, and here’s mine… and we’ll just share it like a buffet style!” Morgan stabbed her fork into the mound of eggs and glanced up at him. “So tell me about the dragon reservation. How did that get started? And how on Earth do you guys hide them from everyone?”

Their talk was light and easy as they ate, Morgan eating most of the meal much to her chagrin. 

“I don’t usually eat a lot,” he said in reply to her incredulous look at his plate. “I don’t always have time to eat.”

“Well you have plenty of time now!” Which found him with two more pastries on his plate and a glare scarier than most of his creatures could make directed towards him. “Eat, you stringbean!” 

Morgan tidied up after breakfast by putting the remains either on the bed--things that could be saved for later--or back on the top of her dresser to be taken away. "I'm going to put this tray in front of someone else's door rather than take it back. That'll save me some time!" 

When she came back, she set to gathering her things and Newt used this time to make his final preparations. Most of it was warning his Niffler _and_ Freya that it was in their best interest to stay _in_ the case! A knock came from outside and he peeped out to see Morgan standing above him with a smile, a puffy blue jacket and black backpack now adorning her. 

"Are you ready, Newt?"

"Yes." He climbed out and secured the clasps before standing. "Do you have everything you need?"

"I think so! I got my heavier jacket since you said mountains and some fruit for snacks, plus my passport just in case. I was thinking though, they scan our cards before we go out. How will you get by that?" 

"I'll just apparate outside and wait for you there. As long as I get a view of the dock from a window we pass." For a moment he caught a flicker of doubt cross her face and he could guess what she was thinking. However, before he could reassure her, she was smiling and nodding.

"Alright. I'll trust you! They made an announcement while you were in your suitcase that we're docked and able to depart so let's get this show on the road!" 

* * *

"So how are we going to get to your reservation from here?" Morgan asked as they walked down the streets of Conwy. 

"We'll have to take transportation." She glanced at him to see if he would expound on his explanation, but when he didn't she merely nodded and looked forward once more. Morgan didn't try to start up a conversation and instead looked around the new area with curiosity, occasionally whipping out her phone to take a picture. He appreciated the silence as he kept his eyes peeled for the symbol he was looking for.

The wizarding world was interwoven within the muggle realm, certain pockets only found by those with the gift of magic. Sometimes, it made him sad that something so wondrous was hidden away from people like Morgan and Jacob who looked upon it with awe. But then he would remember the cruelty of those that walked among the Morgans and Jacobs of the world with every intention to destroy whatever they touched and he was glad for the secrecy. Some of the laws were binding, and he could see Grindelwald's point, but he could also see the logic behind it. Especially when he thought of the horrors humans inflicted on their own non-magical creatures being transferred onto the magical beasts he loved. 

"There it is." 

"Where's what?" He took her wrist lightly rather than answer and pulled her along the streets towards an old painting of the flag of Wales that stretched along the alley wall. Within the scales along its neck was an intricate design of interlocking runes.

"Hold this." He handed her his case without releasing her wrist and she took it from him with a frown. He reached up and traced along the runes, the bricks lighting up brilliant white under his dancing fingertips. He connected his weaving pattern and when his hand moved away the dragon blinked down at them. Morgan stiffened beside him and he gave her wrist a gentle squeeze. The red dragon reached down with its claws and pulled the green layer of the flag up. "Quickly, Morgan."

"O-okay…" Newt ducked under the raised flag and pulled Morgan along with him. The second they were through the dragon lowered the flag and resumed its stance on the wall. 

The city was now awash with color, different species of creatures trotting around the city. Elves stood on corners offering samples from the food carts behind them. People hovered on brooms to clean the windows while children ran past them with chocolate frogs staining their fingers and mouths. The city from this side looked and felt completely different, the very air charged with magic.

"Morgan, I need you to stay close to me. I don't want to lose you in this crow--"

"You people _actually_ fly on brooms?"

"Yes, why wouldn't we?"

"That's like… I don't know, cliche?" 

"Were you expecting everyone disappearing and reappearing all at once?"

"Maybe? Or something like the Jetsons! All… futuristic!" He chuckled and took his case from her, giving her a final squeeze before releasing her wrist. 

"Sorry if it's disappointing. Now, stay close. You're a muggle, and those aren't typically seen around here." Morgan frowned at him, but followed close to his side, head whipping back and forth to take in all the sights.

"What are those?"

"Potion hawkers."

"Is that a wand shop?"

"Indeed. There's many different cores and wood types for wands. It's also for repairs."

"Newt, there's a blue dog floating beside that man…"

"That's his Patronus. Odd that he has it out in the open like this."

"Everyone has one?"

"Mostly."

"Do you have one?" He gave her a secretive smile and instead led them to a black car parked in a line of others. He knocked on the window and it was rolled down by a man sporting an eye patch and a cigar. 

"Can I help you?" 

"Yes, we'd like a ride to the Welsh Dragon Reservation." The man raised a brow and looked at them dubiously. Newt tugged a pouch from his jacket and offered it to him. "This should cover the expenses." His single eye widened as he weighed the bag, quickly flicking his gaze back up to them. 

"Aye, that'll do." The door opened and Newt waved her in and once she got in he followed her. The door slammed shut and Morgan jumped at the sound. The man pulled a wand from somewhere and jammed it into the dash and twisted it like the key of a car. The car purred to life and began to lift off the ground. Morgan snatched hold of his arm and he jolted at the sudden contact. The car drove into the sky and her fingers dug further into the fabric of his jacket. 

"Morgan, it's safe."

"We're in a flying car."

"We are."

"How are we in a flying car?!" 

"A man from the Weasley family enchanted his car to fly. Later generations saw an opportunity and were able to engineer a car that was purely powered by magic. It can create a strain on the user though, so most flights are short." The fear in her expression slowly shifted into giddiness and she moved away from him to look out the window. The city raced below them then disappeared under a layer of clouds as they ascended higher. 

"How do people not spot flying cars everywhere?"

"They stay within the boundaries of the spell that's cloaking this area, then try and go higher than humans can see. Yet they also have to stay low enough to avoid planes, so it's a rather delicate process. Truthfully, there's not many urban areas where these flying cars are around. There's absolutely none in New York."

"Wait, did you say _Weasley_?" He blinked at the sudden change of topic.

"I did."

"That's the name of a character in this book--Oh!" Morgan snapped her head towards him. "Hogwarts is a theme park in Universal based on these Harry Potter books! They're like you, with wands and stuff!" Newt gave her a smile, fingers ghosting comfortingly over his suitcase. 

"That was one of the newest ideas of the agencies. Hiding in plain sight so to speak. People certainly wouldn't question someone as strongly with a wand if they know of people who love to act out these books."

"So, all those books are _true_? Those people and fights and whatever?"

"Well the names were changed a bit to protect them."

"They were?"

"Yes. For example, his name isn't really Harry Potter, it's Porry Hatter." 

"What? Really?" He kept the straight face for only a few seconds before laughing. Even the driver snorted at the wheel and Morgan's eyelids fell. "Rude." After a moment though she smiled and shook her head. "I guess I asked for that. But, Hogwarts is a real place?"

"It is, I attended it."

"Really? I bet that's so cool! What house were you? Those are a thing?"

"They are indeed. I was in Hufflepuff," he said proudly. 

"I can see that. They're supposed to be kind and loyal right? I can't imagine what a school for magic would look like… Probably very different from mine! I can't imagine my students flying on brooms or waving wands at me… I took a quiz for that pottermore thing to tell me what my house was when my friend asked me. She was a Hufflepuff too," she added. 

"I think I could guess your house."

"You think so?" Morgan grinned and sat back to tilt her head up at him. 

"You said _your students_ , are you a teacher?"

"I am! I teach high school History. I wanted to teach English Literature, but I hate Shakespeare way too much so history it was! Do magic schools have subjects like that?"

"No, it's based more on spellwork or potion creation. I helped found the class on the care of magical creatures."

"I'd love to sit in those classes… Imagine everything you could learn! Even without magic I bet it would be fun to listen to!"

"You're a Ravenclaw." Morgan blinked before laughing.

"Yeah, that's what I got! How'd you guess?"

"You want to learn for the sake of learning. Wisdom and wit." 

"Would we have gotten along in school? A Hufflepuff and a Ravenclaw?" His expression twisted and he glanced away. 

"I didn't really get along with my own housemates, much less others." Morgan tapped his hand lightly and he looked up briefly to catch her smile before shifting his eyes away again. 

"Want to hear some of my crazy school stories? Like, once a student smuggled in a baby shark."

"A baby shark?"

"It's okay, the shark wasn't harmed. But it did get water absolutely _everywhere_."

Morgan had so many interesting stories that she slowly pulled him out of his school day thoughts. Even the driver chuckled every once and while and Newt grinned at Morgan's winks she sent each time the wizard acknowledged her stories. The car finally lowered onto rocky ground, coming to a bumpy halt. 

"Thank you for the ride," Morgan chirped as she climbed out. Newt nodded gratefully and the man gave them a backwards wave. Once they were both out the door slammed shut and locked, the car driving a little ways down the mountain before taking off into the sky. Morgan bundled closer into her jacket and glanced around, humming as she surveyed her surroundings. The mountain was sprinkled with colorful wildflowers, cut with swashes of green and rocky outcrops. There was a clear path that wound up the mountain then eventually disappeared around a curve. "Where are we?"

"This is Mynydd y Dref," he informed her, tongue curling around the Welsh language. Newt began up the mountain, hauling his case behind him. "Conwy Mountain."

"It seems like a lot of people come this way," she commented. Morgan scurried after him and glanced around. "It's kinda odd no one's up here." Newt gave a noncommittal hum. Morgan took his cue and fell silent to instead focus on keeping up with his long strides. He reached over and gripped her wrist to tug her towards him.

"Newt, that's the side of a mountain we're walking towards."

"It is." Her head slowly turned to give him a round eyed stare before sighing and merely hurrying to keep up with his excited jog. Newt ran them right into the rocky wall and right when his nose brushed a flower hanging between the stones, he sank into the mountain. Morgan gasped as she followed after him, his grip on her tightening as she melted into the stones. 

They came into a wide open space, arching high as if the entire mountain had been carved out. She peered down a fence to see it sank far below, hallways splitting off like tunnels in an ant hill. It was lit by floating balls of light that danced in a breeze that wafted through the area. A massive green dragon launched up from one of the tunnels, spreading wide wings and darkening the area with the membrane of its wings. Its horns curved forward from its skull and spikes stretched down its spine to the tip of its tail. Morgan inhaled sharply and her hand came up to tug at his sleeve urgently. 

"Look how big it is! It's beautiful! Is that what Freya will look like?"

"That's merely an adolescent, as well as a male, so Freya will look slightly different. For example, the male's horns curve forward much like an elephant's tusks."

"That's only a teenager?" He glanced over at her and a smile curled at his lips. Her eyes were fixed on the dragon, watching as the male spun then dove down to vanish into a tunnel. Her face was lit up with gleeful excitement, fingers clutching his sleeve so tightly her knuckles were white. "Wow…"

"Mr. Scamander!" Newt broke away from Morgan and peered down the spiraling staircase to see a figure waving at them. 

"Bugger!"

"What?" He hurriedly pulled a stick from his pocket and thrust it towards her. 

"Take this and keep it with you. It's a branch from my Bowtruckle tree. Bowtruckles usually converge in trees with wood that can be used for wands, so this will hold enough magic that they won't suspect you of being a muggle."

"I thought you said it was okay for me to be here!" His eyes flickered from her face to behind them then settled on the stick she had yet to take.

"That may have been an exaggeration."

" _Newt_!" Pickett chittered from his pocket, spindly limbs reaching for the branch.

"Pickett, I gave a cup of woodlice to your branch so this one could be mine! Why do you suddenly want it when you've been insisting _I'm_ your tree since your cold?"

"Mr. Scamander!"

Morgan clutched the branch at the same moment Pickett did, Newt spinning around to face the man. The Bowtruckle squeaked as Morgan yanked the stick to her chest, quickly unzipping her jacket to stuff them both in her hoodie's pouch. She gave the wizard's questioning gaze a strained smile. 

"I didn't know you were bringing along company."

"This is my assistant, Ms. Willems."

"Hi." 

"Hello… It's a pleasure to have you finally here, Mr. Scamander!" His gaze shifted off her and she exhaled shakily behind him. "My name is Rhys Alun." Rhys shook his hand with more exuberance than he was anticipating and nearly shook his arm from the socket in the process. "We're so excited for this newest resident to our reservation!" Rhys finally released him and Newt subtly massaged his arm. "We recently had a clutch of eggs hatch so we're hopeful that the parents will welcome another whelp."

" _Hopeful_?" Rhys glanced at her from around Newt's body. 

"Well, you can never be too sure about these things. They could wind up rejecting the new dragon."

"What would happen to Freya then?"

"Freya?"

"Morgan," Newt warned softly. Morgan frowned sharply at him and her fingers twitched with agitation at her sides. 

"We have prepared for all possible situations, Ms. Willems. I can guarantee we have the whelp's safety as our very first priority! No harm will come to her." Morgan's lips thinned yet she said nothing more. "Could we see the dragon, Mr. Scamander?"

"Yes, of course." He glanced at his companion but she wouldn't meet his eye and he paused to reach out and brush her fingers. 

"I will keep her safe, Morgan."

"Like you did on the island?" Her tone held a teasing note, but the words were biting and he squeezed her hand.

"That's what I have you for, right?" She exhaled slowly and gave him a gentle brush of her thumb against his knuckles before tugging away. 

Newt knelt and flipped open the clasps of his case, lowering it and opening it up. 

"Come on out, little one." He could feel Rhys practically vibrating with anticipation behind him. Freya's head poked out of the suitcase, claws gripping the sides to haul herself out. Her big eyes caught sight of Morgan and the girl immediately knelt with a grin, lowering her arms as the dragon bounded towards her. The dragon clambered up her arm and bumped her head affectionately against her jaw before flopping over her shoulders. 

"Oh my, she's a beautiful specimen!" Rhys hopped over to her and kept his hands up and head slightly bowed in a submissive gesture. Freya sniffed at his fingers then nipped his pinky before licking the cut.

"Freya!" 

"No, no, she's doing exactly as she should!" Rhys praised. "She's showing dominance, but exhibiting her acceptance of me. Had she tried to take a finger instead, I would know she was not pleased with my behavior. I'm glad she's tolerated me, but I believe that's because she has the two of you here to trust. Oh, I think our breeding mates will love her! She's already showing such a strong personality! Come, come! Let me show you the way!" He flitted away from them without another word, fishing a vial from his pocket and opening it with his teeth to pour it on his cut like he had done it a thousand times before. 

"He's kinda weird." Newt snorted and offered her a crooked smile which she broadly returned. 

The two followed him down the staircase, sticking close to the smooth walls to avoid others racing up. Freya switched from Newt's shoulders to Morgan's, nose twitching and wings rustling behind her as she took in every new scent and sight. Pickett poked his head out from Morgan's pocket, clutching the branch tightly. 

"It's okay, Pickett, I won't take it from you." She patted a leaf on his head with a fingertip and he squeaked, appeased, then sank back into the depths of her hoodie. 

Rhys chatted the entire time they walked, informing them of a multitude of facts about the reservation. How it came to be, how many people and dragons inhabited it, how long he had been working here… 

"Hey, stop for a second."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, shh, he's going to keep talking for a couple minutes before he realizes we're not behind him." Morgan quickly had her phone out and her arm around his shoulder, Freya squished between them. He blinked at the screen showing the two of them and Morgan grinned. "Say cheese!"

"Cheese?" Her finger tapped the phone and there was a click then she was pulling away. "Did you take a picture?" 

"Of course!" She tilted her head back to avoid Freya's horns when the dragon peered curiously at the phone. "If I'm about to say goodbye to her I wanna remember…"

"Morgan, you can't--"

"Come on, before Rhys realizes we're gone!" She hurried down the stairs, stuffed her phone in her jean's pocket and left Newt gripping his case tightly. He didn't have the heart to tell her it'd have to be deleted. Not yet anyway. 

Rhys led them into a spacious cavern off the main spire of the enclosure. A witch met them and was a stern counterpart to Rhys's bubbly personality. She led them deeper still, Rhys still chattering away behind them. The den they finally reached was blazing hot and glittering scales like polished emeralds greeted them. The dragons that took up the space more than doubled the adolescent male they had seen when they first entered. One was curled up around a nest of tangled branches, leaves, and vines where two dragon whelps slept. The second towered above the three protectively, smoke curling lazily from its nostrils. Freya whined quietly from Morgan’s shoulder and shuffled further back until she could hide part of her face behind the girl’s neck. 

“Now, let me have the whelp.” Morgan glanced at Newt who gave her an encouraging smile. The magizoologist reached out and carefully pried Freya from Morgan’s shoulders, holding the dragon between them. 

“You’ll be safe, Freya,” Morgan promised quietly. Newt nodded his agreement.

“We’ll be right here.” The dragon’s tail swung limply in response and Newt carefully transferred Freya into the witch’s arms. Morgan lifted a hand to chew on her knuckle as the witch walked away with the dragon. The standing dragon growled lowly and the witch dipped her head in respect, eyes and body lowering as if in a bow. She carefully laid Freya down before the mating pair then scurried back. Newt pried Morgan’s hand away from her grinding teeth and though her eyes didn’t move away from the dragons, her fingers curled tightly around his. The female dragon scooted on her belly towards Freya, sniffing cautiously above her while the male hunkered down closer to the nest. Freya trembled as she looked up at the adult dragons, tail curled around her and wings pinned tightly to her spine. Yet she kept her gaze firmly on the mother dragon’s, eyes unblinking to match the eyes staring down at her. The bones in his knuckles popped from how tightly Morgan was gripping his hand and she was gnawing on her bottom lip. The female dragon lowered her snout to bump into Freya’s side and the whelp toppled over with a yelp, her legs clawing at the air. Morgan nearly bolted forward and he jerked her back, holding her tightly by the arm. 

“Wait, look.” The female nuzzled Freya’s belly with a hum then moved forward to begin licking the whelp clean, forked tongue swiping over her scales. Morgan melted against him, exhaling shakily as the male came over to sniff at the new baby. They let out low growls, their voices blending like musical notes. Freya gave a trilling cry in return, her voice adding to theirs. Morgan sank to the ground and Newt followed her, casting her a worried look. 

“They sound like a symphony…” He smiled faintly and crossed his legs under him. He tugged his journal from his coat and quickly flipped to the page he had notes on Freya to scribble more of what this interaction had provided. Rhys and the witch both clapped quietly, excited whispers between them. Morgan simply watched beside him while the other two whelps woke up, the father nosing them over to introduce them to Freya. “She’ll be happy here.” Newt looked up briefly from his sketch before returning to it. 

“Yes, she will be.”

“Good. Newt?”

“Hm?” Her hand patted his knee and he glanced at her through the fringe of his hair. Her lips were twisted in a brilliant smile, eyes shining as she watched the scene. 

“I’m glad you lost her egg.” Her face tilted towards him. “I’m happy I found you.” He felt his cheeks flush and rather than wait for a response she took her hand back to lay in her lap and turned towards the dragons. He opened his mouth, words sitting on his tongue then slowly closed his mouth once more. He merely went back to his drawing, allowing the musical roars of the dragons to wash over them.

“That was amazing!” Morgan gushed. She had been talking nonstop since they apparated down the mountain. She was giving that Rhys a run for his money with how much she was talking, eyes bright like diamonds and lips curved in a smile even in discussions. Newt, however, was silent. He was stewing over what would happen next, oblivious to her voice. Thankfully, she had given him back the branch--and Pickett attached to it--once they exited the mountain reservation. 

Morgan was a muggle, no matter how he looked at it. She was kind and even knowing her a short amount of time, he trusted her to keep the secret of magic. After all, if she hadn’t been trustworthy, his creatures wouldn’t have taken to her as they had. Just like Jacob, Tina, and Queenie. His creatures were far better judges of characters than anyone he had ever met, including himself. 

But the ministries of magic in both the United Kingdom and America wouldn’t see it that way. Muggles that were allowed to know the secret were either spouses or siblings. While you could be friends with them in the UK, they couldn’t know they were friends with a wizard or witch. They would want her memories wiped and it made a sour feeling twist his insides. He had already watched one friend forget him, he certainly didn’t want to watch another. If he made no mention of it to anyone… and if she kept it secret--who would believe her anyway?--then there would be no repeat of New York. Though, perhaps this route would also bring about as much pain? But, even if he couldn’t see her, he would know she was out there with her memories--ones that made her so happy--fully intact and that would be enough wouldn’t it?

 _It would have to be_. 

“Hey, Newt, it looks like we actually made great time! I’ve got about two hours before I have to board my ship. Would you want to find a place to eat?” Morgan turned around but the wizard was already gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know in the books, Voldemort killed Grindelwald, but like I said, I've basically shredded canon timelines at this point. The books are more a mixture of truth and fiction in this world just so the muggles believe this is a fiction story and allow more freedom to the wizards/witches when there's hundreds of thousands of peeps that use the books as inspiration.  
> It's just for fun anyway~


	7. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob gets around to asking a question he's had since their adventure in Paris.

“Newt, I’ve been meanin’ to ask ya something.”

“Yes, Jacob?” Newt looked up briefly from his notebook to see Jacob frowning down at him. There was a look of bemusement on his face. 

“How’d ya get that Niffler of yours to track Tina when we were in Paris?”

“Oh! That was an interesting experiment actually.” Newt put his pen in his journal and closed it, setting it aside to give his full attention to his friend. “It’s not really known how Nifflers are able to find the shiny things they desire so greatly. I thought it may have to do with their scent of smell and I wanted to test that theory. When Tina would send me letters, I would copy what she wrote--because I didn’t want to lose a single letter.”

“Of course…”

“Then I took the original copy and tore it into pieces. Even though it came a long way, there was still a faint scent of Tina on it. Have you ever noticed how her perfume smells?”

“Can’t say I have, pal.”

“It’s very distinct. Not too strong, but just enough! It’s almost like a pine--”

“You were talking about ripping up her letters?” Jacob interrupted. Newt could get going on a tangent if given the chance when it came to Tina. Jacob was pretty sure he could write an entire novel just on the size of her feet.

“Yes, yes, that’s right,” Newt waved a hand as if physically directing himself back on track. “I tore them into small pieces then took different objects and taped the paper onto the back of shiny things. Such as coins or jewelry and had Niffler find them. I scattered them in different places around the house, even a few parks or other places where I could monitor him for safety. I would never put him in harm’s way for research.” Jacob smiled.

“Course you wouldn’t.” The baker’s lips tilted into a frown. “But what’s that got to do with tracking Tina?”

“Well! Eventually he would recognize that Tina’s scent correlated with finding something for his hoard. So if he could find Tina’s scent, he would find something he liked. Then all I had to do was put him out and he would be able to track the scent with a dogged determination for the prize at the end.”

“Alright, I guess that makes sense… but uh. Why would you want one of your creatures to be able to track Tina down?”

“In case we got lost. You never know what type of environment we could find ourselves in!” Jacob chuckled and rubbed at the back of his head. 

“Guess I can’t argue with that logic. You think… you think maybe he could find Queenie that way?”

“I’m not sure, Jacob… It may only be one scent he can get locked on. Or perhaps there’s an endless amount. However, that method would take too long. I have another idea of how we can find our missing friend. Let me show you what I’ve been working on.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


	8. Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rough drafts of the first letters Tina and Newt exchanged

~~Dearest~~ Dear ~~Ms. Goldstein Ms. Tina~~ Tina,

I've arrived in London safely. None of my creatures escaped, ~~I hope you're proud of that fact~~ , and they're safe as well. The Ministry wished to speak with me as soon as I arrived. I told them what had happened and they seemed shocked Grindelwald was in America. ~~They asked me more than three times as if I wouldn't know his face?~~ They reprimanded me for what happened, and I suppose, in a way, I can see how they were right to do so. 

I hope everything is going well with you and Queenie. I know that Jacob is no longer aware of us, but could I trouble you to check on him? Before I left I made sure he received the suitcase, but I don't know if he was able to use them. Occamy eggs may be hard to exchange… 

I've begun my book and I think you'll enjoy the title. I hope to get it out before spring of next year. ~~You will be the first to get a copy.~~

~~Please write soon~~ ~~.~~ I look forward to hearing back from you.

~~Yours Sincerely~~ Newt Scamander

  
  
  
  


~~Dear Newt Mr. Scamander Newton~~ To Newt

 ~~I was so happy to hear from you~~ It was nice good to receive your letter. I'm glad you and your creatures got home safely. Queenie and I were also questioned about Grindelwald. They wanted the full story, what the Aurors couldn't tell them I guess. Speaking of, they're talking about a possible new mission for me now that I’ve been reinstated. ~~I can't believe it!~~ I can’t thank you enough for what you said to Madam Picquery to get me back in her good graces. Well, you did bring a suitcase full of creatures then lost them in New York… I understand why they might have said something to you.

I did check on Jacob, ~~Queenie already asked~~ , and it seems like he's doing good. He went back into the bank and came out much happier than when ~~you apparated him out!~~ he went in! Hopefully there will be a new bakery opening up soon! I'll try and keep you posted. 

There was no fallout with the No-Maj thanks to you. ~~You were amazing~~ It was amazing seeing a real thunderbird. I can't wait to see your book, ~~I really want to see you~~ I'm sure it'll be a bestseller. You have me curious about the title though. I wonder if I can guess it?

 ~~Please write soon~~. I hope to hear back from you with your progress. 

~~Yours From~~ Tina G


	9. Modern AU 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt tries again to lift the travel ban placed on him after the events of New York, but he instead is greeted by an old friend. If he can even use that word...

"So you've come today to challenge your international travel ban."

"That's right." The council members looked at him severely and Newt shifted his eyes away. He caught his brother's eye before settling his gaze on the table. 

"Mr. Scamander, you've come to us before with this same request and we've told you the same reasons for our denial." The man speaking folded his hands and peered down at him. "Your trip to New York caused extensive damage to the city as well as caused a blackout to half of it--"

"That wasn't exactly true, though the blackout was necessary."

"--and nearly revealed to the muggle realm the wizarding world--"

"I believe I helped to prevent that."

"--you left London for Wales without telling anyone--"

"Wales is still technically part of the United Kingdom."

"--and lastly you went to an island to deliver a  _ man-eating  _ spider which was distinctly  **not** in the United Kingdom." The man's eyes had been narrowing with each of his interruptions until they were finally slits that blazed like burning coals. "You have already broken your ban  _ multiple  _ times and yet you ask us to remove it?" Newt threw up his hands from his lap, shoulders shrugging minutely before he dropped them back to his knees. 

"I thought it'd be better to do it properly then taking another portkey." If his gaze was burning before, it was like the fire of a wrathful dragon now. 

"Your request is denied, Mr. Scamander." A mallet rose and fell with a resounding  _ bang  _ and Newt stood stiffly. He picked up his case and marched out, their gazes scorching his back. 

"Newt…" He ignored the voice and kept his steady pace. His face burned, surely splotched red, and his blood boiled. They wanted to shift the entire blame on him for that mess in New York because no one wanted to admit they lost Grindelwald who spiraled the situation out of control. Or that they let one of their own be tortured to the point that his magic turned against him. He stomped out of the building with the full intention of going home. 

"Newt!" Theseus grabbed hold of his shoulder and turned him around to shatter his homeward bound plan. Newt refused to meet his gaze and his brother's fingers dug into his coat. "Newt, just wait."

"This is the  _ fourth  _ time I've asked for this ban to be removed, Theseus!" Newt snapped. "I'm tired of being bound here for something I've not done!" 

"They're simply scared, Newt. There's… movement. Things happening in the background that have gotten them spooked."

"What does that have to do with me?" 

"You're the one who caught him, little brother. But that doesn't mean it's over. Divisions are being created and things are only going to get more intense. Your book has already been published, what more traveling and research do you need to do?" Newt gripped his case tighter, taking comfort in the weight. 

"I have a copy to deliver," he murmured. A special one he had promised. Tina hadn't been answering his letters or calls either, though his last letter might have been rude when she had been excited about her reassignment as an Auror… He was never good with words, written or spoken. Books were easier to write when they were simply his informative notes on creatures. 

Whatever Theseus was going to reply was lost to a voice screeching, " _ NEWT SCAMANDER _ !" across the street. The brothers jumped and Theseus immediately moved in front of Newt as a woman stalked towards them. "You left me in Wales!" Theseus slowly looked at his brother and Newt quickly waved his free hand at the scandal in his brother's eyes.

"It's not like that!" He stepped around his brother when the woman came to a stop before them. Her blond hair swung around her face, gray eyes blazing furiously up at them. "Morgan?"

"Oh, you remember my name! How kind of you!" She jabbed a finger at his chest, the magizoologist jerking back with surprise. "You just left me without a single word of goodbye!"

"Ms. Morgan was it? You're making a scene," Theseus scolded. Her fiery gaze descended onto him and he stiffened.

"You think so? I've not even  _ begun  _ to make a scene." 

"Morgan, please, it was for your own good--"

"My  _ own  _ **_good_ ** _?!_ " She snarled back. "Who are you to decide what's good for me, huh?"

"Newt, is this woman a  _ muggle _ ?" He whispered harshly. 

"Theseus, please--"

"Does that bother you?" Morgan hissed and Theseus glared down at her.

"It proves a point if all of you are like this."

"Like  _ what _ ?" 

"Morgan, don't--"

"You think you can simply come up and order your way around? There are proper ways to have a conversation and, perhaps, muggles don't learn them."

"I can have a different kind of conversation if you'd like," Morgan offered as she raised her hands and cracked her knuckles. 

"Both of you, that's enough!" Newt stood between them, pressing his case into Theseus's chest to ensure he kept his distance. Pickett poked his head up from his pocket to look warily between them as if he could see physical sparks flying from the two. "We can continue this at home."

"You're thinking of bringing this rowdy…  _ woman  _ into your home?!"

"What other word were you about to say?"

"Morgan!" Morgan's gaze was scalding when it met his and he found himself faltering. "I'm sorry, you deserve an explanation and I… should give it to you. So, if you could, follow me?" She glared a moment later before breaking away to flip open her purse.

"Let me text my parents I met a friend and I'll be late."

"You're here with your family?"

"Yes. They think if they take me to enough of their venues I'll realize I've actually wanted to be a politician all along!"

"You're certainly loud enough to be one," Theseus commented and Morgan's head snapped up.

"Who are you?"

"This is my brother, Theseus," Newt quickly interjected as he once again put himself between them. "He has other business to attend to, I'm sure." 

"It can wait." Theseus ignored his pleading look to instead keep up the apparent staring contest he and Morgan had wordlessly initiated. 

"You think I'll hurt your brother? But I'm only a muggle who's so  _ obviously  _ beneath wizards!"

"She knows you're a wizard?" Theseus hissed and Newt could feel the beginning of a headache coming on. Obviously she knew he was a wizard! Pickett cooed softly from his pocket and a spindly limb patted his chest as if in comfort. Morgan's eyes softened when she finally caught sight of the Bowtruckle. 

"I'm sorry, Pickett, if I frightened you." Her eyes hardened as they met the green of the wizard. "It was intended for someone else."

"She knows the names of your creatures?!" Oh yes, there was definitely a headache creeping across his temples. 

The walk to his apartment was incredibly stifling. He could feel the air around them charged with tension, tight like a rubber band between them and ready to snap. His brother wasn't making it any better by keeping close to him as if he were a damsel and Morgan an attacking dragon. If Theseus was setting himself up as the knight in his head, this upcoming conversation was going to be a nightmare. Morgan was deathly quiet compared to how she had been in Wales. Her bubbly personality had been burned up under a level of rage he wasn't quite sure he understood. Yes, he had left her in Wales, but in the vicinity of her cruise ship so her previous experience wouldn't be repeated. He hadn't taken her memories from her and had even allowed her to keep the picture on her phone! Why was she so furious with him when  _ he  _ was the one who had to leave her behind? 

Leaving had hurt him too… 

He opened the door and Theseus waited until Morgan was in before following behind, always acting as a barrier between her and his brother. He closed the door and turned on the lights. 

"Would you, um, care for some tea?"

"No thank you." Newt swallowed thickly at this new tone, flat and cold. It was almost worse than when she was spitting fire. He nodded and shed his coat, frowning at his brother who stood stiffly in his living room. It had been quite some time since he had his brother over hadn't it? 

"Come and take a seat." Morgan sat on the edge of one of the chairs, back ramrod straight and he slowly eased into one himself. Theseus sat on the armchair beside him like a looming Graplehorn over its baby. If it wouldn't have made it worse, he would have pushed his brother off. While he itched to check on his creatures, he trusted his newest assistant had taken care of them. Briefly, he wondered if Bunty was still down there in his basement. He carefully set his case down on the coffee table and shifted his gaze onto Morgan. "I had to leave, Morgan."

"Did you? In that particular fashion and everything?" Her voice was a sarcastic edge that dug into him.

"If my brother left, it was for good reason!"

"Theo,  _ please _ ," Newt begged. There were only a few circumstances where his brother's overprotective nature was wanted and this wasn't one of them. "Muggles and wizards aren't really supposed to interact."

"Because we're not as good as you?"

"Because it's dangerous." His fingers fiddled with his sleeves, eyes flickering across the room. "If humans found out there were people among them who could do magic, how do you think they'd react?"

"I'm not one of those people!"

"It doesn't matter to them!" He slapped his hand on the side of his chair and Morgan's posture went rigid. "There are…  _ laws _ that aren't fair, that don't take into account people like you and Jac--" he bit off the name and plowed on. "If anyone in the ministry found out you knew the secret, they would have had you Obliviated. All your memories, everything you saw, it'd just be gone."

Morgan was silent, brow furrowed while she stewed over his words.

"So you left," she finally started, "because you thought if they didn't see you around me, no one would know I had my memories?"

"I didn't want you to lose them." 

"You could have told me."

"Would that have made it better?"

"Of course it would have!" She leaped to her feet and Theseus tensed beside him, hand drifting to where his wand was concealed. "I thought this entire time I had done something  _ wrong _ or that it was all some crazy dream I made up! I thought you'd gotten in trouble because you took me! A thousand different scenarios all ran through my head and if you had explained yourself to me I would have understood!" Newt dug his fingers into his knees, keeping his eyes anchored to the floor.

"I didn't want to put you through that. I never meant to hurt you."

"You have to… you have to  _ talk  _ to people, Newt! Explain whatever the hell you're planning!" He gave her a strained smile.

"People don't normally seem to listen to me very well." Morgan walked towards him and while Theseus slowly stood, she pointedly ignored him. She knelt in front of him and reached out to pry one of his hands from their death grip on his pants and gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. 

" _ I  _ will. I don't mind you gallivanting off on your own, God knows I trusted you to drag me around Wales--through a mountain and a wall for heaven's sake!--but sometimes you just have to explain your thinking!"

A flicker of green caught his attention and he pushed the sleeve of her jacket up. A leather bracelet adorned her wrist. Thin pieces of leather were braided around three small green scales that gleamed like emeralds. 

"You got my note," he murmured. 

"Of course I did. Which made me even more worried!  _ This is a thank you for our time together _ . Like it was a final farewell or something! Especially since they were just sitting on my bed when I got back from Conwy!"

"How did you get them to stay like this?" He asked as he twisted her wrist, admiring the handiwork.

"I took them to a Renaissance Festival and asked the jewelry stalls there what they could do with them."

"You gave her actual dragon scales? And you took them to a muggle festival?" Morgan frowned up at Theseus, shielding her bracelet as though he would rip it away from her.

"They thought they were fish scales! I'm not stupid, I didn't tell them they were dragon scales!"

"I'm sorry, Morgan. I truly am. I just thought, after what happened before… This was the best choice. For both of us." Morgan's frown deepened and she stood, pulling away from him.

"Newt, I know we only knew each other for a day or two, but when you left like that… It hurt you know? I just… I really missed you." Her lips thinned and her fingers closed into fists by her sides. "But if you think we shouldn't be friends, and I should keep away, then--"

"I don't want that!" He scrambled up from his chair and Morgan had to hop backwards to avoid colliding with him. "I like you, I do, and I want to be friends I just…"

_ It's okay. I wasn't even supposed to be here. _

His eyes screwed shut at the memory and he firmly blocked it out. 

"I don't want to lose you. I don't make friends easily, people think I'm annoying or odd, and they don't understand me. I don't understand _ them _ . So, having a friend is strange and hard, and it's so much easier with my creatures because I can have them. I can protect them and people won't take them away from me."  _ Except a disguised Grindelwald with a single flick of his hand.  _ "But this is just… difficult," he finished with a sigh. Newt opened his eyes to see Morgan staring up at him.

"Can I hug you?"

"W-well, Theseus is usually the hugger."

"I'm not hugging him."

"I don't want to be hugged by you," he snipped back. He had forgotten his brother was there and he didn't dare look at him after  _ that  _ admission. 

"Yes. T-to your earlier question, by the way." Morgan paused in front of him as if he would retract his agreement, as if giving him time to change his mind, and once he didn't, she wrapped him in a hug. It was fierce in its delivery, tight and inescapable, her head burrowed firmly against his chest. 

"You have such a big heart, Mr. Scamander. It's a shame other people are too blind to see it." She pulled away and gave him a dazzling smile. "But I'm very grateful to be able to. I'm happy to be considered your friend." She pulled away, leaving him in a confused daze. 

"You are?"

"Of course! Would it be okay… if I changed my mind about that tea offer?" She grinned at Theseus, corners of her mouth curling slyly. "As long as your mother hen is alright with it."

"Absolutely," Newt replied before his brother could sputter a response. "But first, I need to check on my creatures."

"In your case?" He gave her a smile, gesturing for her coat. 

"I have another place to show you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This timeline is placed a few months before CoG, so Mr. Grindelwald is still stuck in prison.  
> I don't know if anyone else does, but I really like Morgan's character. So I shall keep making pieces with her in it cause it makes me happy. :D  
> Thanks for reading~


	10. Modern AU 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgan gets a glimpse of what lies beneath Newt's apartment.

“Do you know how many laws you’re breaking by keeping all these creatures here?”

“Exactly sixty-three. Sixty-four if you also include the statute of secrecy I’m breaking by bringing Morgan down here.”

“Newt,” Theseus sighed and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“I’ve taken every precaution, Theseus. It’s not as if my case is big enough to house  _ all _ my creatures!” Morgan stood on the base of a staircase, gazing down at the basement with awe. Theseus and Newt were already below her, used to the wonder that was greeting her. The stairs went down then leveled off before going back up in a different direction. At least four different sets of stairs criss-crossed over one another that she could see. As she walked, she could peer into different windows, each housing a new biome and creature within it. One was a sunset bathed field, horned beasts far in the distance like a herd spread between the wind beaten stalks of wheat. Snow spilled out of one shaped more like a door and she had to wrap her arms around herself as biting cold nipped at her bare skin. Another overlooked a lake, mountains stretching around it to cage it in, the water lapping gently at the cut stone that created a wider window then some others. 

“Bunty! Are you still down here?” Newt called, hopping down two stairs at a time to reach the bottom of the basement. A woman poked her head out, her hair wrapped in two buns on either side of her head while some stray curls brushed her face.

“Oh, Newt! Welcome back!” She brushed her hair back and came out with a shaky smile, putting her hands behind her back. “I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.” She peered up and caught Morgan’s descending form, straightening once Theseus stepped into view. “Oh! Mr. Scamander! I didn’t know we were expecting you! Is this lady with the Ministry too?” There was a bit of a hitch in her voice, worry making her words nearly a whisper. 

“No, she’s not.” Morgan huffed at his flippant reply, stepping out from behind him and folding her arms. 

“I don’t know how people stand working with you when you’re  _ so _ warm and inviting like this!” Theseus glared at her and she glared right back. 

“Theseus…” His brother broke off the glaring contest at Newt’s quiet voice, his jaw clenching. “Bunty, this is Morgan. She’s a friend of mine.” A little ball of warmth swelled in her chest and she couldn’t help but give a smug little smirk up at Theseus who rolled his eyes in response. “How are the Nifflers?”

“Fine, just fine! Sure we’ll have little baby coin stealers any day now!” Newt narrowed his eyes and tilted his head towards her. 

“Why are you hiding your hands?”

“Oh! Well, I just…” Bunty licked her lips nervously before offering her hand. Her fingers looked torn, blood seeping from the cloth she had haphazardly thrown around the gashes. Morgan stiffened and Theseus immediately brought out his wand. “I noticed the Kelpie’s wound looked worse so I wanted to put some ointment on it... ”

“Bunty, I appreciate your concern, but I wish you had waited for me.” Bunty looked down briefly while Theseus took her hand, waving his wand across it. The blood evaporated and little cuts began to heal over.

“This will most likely need some Dittany.”

“Morgan, there’s some potions back in that corner over there where my work table is. Could you fetch one called Essence of Dittany? It’s usually red.” Newt moved as he talked, going around Bunty to seemingly gather other things. Or maybe check on the other creatures. It was always hard to tell what he was planning on doing. He was a bit hard to follow… 

But Morgan did as he requested, hurriedly making her way past some Mooncalves and a very strange antlered moose…  _ thing _ to find his work table shoved in the corner. She was a bit surprised to spot a bed hidden further around a separate wall, some of the sheets thrown off. Did that Bunty lady sleep down here…? She snorted while beginning to go through the labeled vials. It was most likely Newt that slept down here rather than a proper bedroom. Why would he want a room when he could have this space here close to all the things he loved? There was a whole host of vials, one called Bezear filled with rocks and one called Gillyweed with bright springs of green in it. What the heck was Floo powder? And why were there so many of these draught things?

Once she found what he had asked--right in the very front!--she jogged back to the others. Newt had disappeared somewhere and Theseus offered his hand without looking at her. She placed the vial in his outstretched palm and he gave it a quick glance before uncorking it and dripping a few drops straight onto Bunty’s fingers. Threads of skin slithered over the open cuts, weaving together in front of her very eyes. She gave a soft whistle of awe and leaned closer to look. There was still damage where the wounds hadn’t completely healed, yet they looked more like shallow cuts than what had been there before. 

“Does it feel alright, Miss Bunty?” She flushed scarlet under Theseus’s concentrated gaze, his hands moving away from hers. 

“Y-yes! Much better, thank you!” Newt reappeared and quickly took his brother’s place, taking her hand without a word and her cheeks darkened even further. 

“This will help with any lingering infection. You can never be too careful with Kelpie bites.”

“Thank you, Newt…”

“It’s no trouble.” He wrapped her fingers in bandages then pulled away to put a jar in Morgan’s hands. Where had he even pulled that from, his  _ pant _ pockets? She fumbled with the container before finally getting a grip on it and clutching it close to her chest. “Follow me.” Newt bounded up the stairs and Morgan blinked before quickly following after him. Would it kill the man to explain his plans  _ once _ ? He led them up the stairs to the lake she had seen before and quickly stripped off his coat, tossing it carelessly to the side. He gripped his shirt and pulled it over his head to join his coat and Morgan heard a faint gasp behind her. The magizoologist was only wearing a tank top and pants, discarding his boots to the side. His arms were sinewy with muscle, splattered with freckles like someone had simply flicked a paintbrush full of brown paint over his skin. Cutting through these however were scars, some light while others were darker and thicker, ropey scars intersecting with ones that looked to be claw marks scoring across his flesh. “I’ll go in and check the Kelpie. Morgan,” he turned his head briefly towards her. “I’ll need that medicine you have once I’ve subdued him. Keep it warm for me. He’s always preferred to have it warmed before use.”

“Ah… okay?” She wrapped her arms more securely around the vessel to try and put as much of her body heat into it as possible.

“Newt, there are other ways of doing this!” Theseus admonished and Morgan glanced back to see him and Bunty coming up on either side of her. Bunty was as red as a tomato and she quietly picked up Newt’s disarray of clothing to hold close to her chest. 

“There may be,” Newt admitted before shooting his brother a mischievous smile. “But none are as fun as this one.” With that, Newt turned and jumped off the ledge into the lake below. The water suddenly swelled up high and Morgan jerked back as water rushed towards them. Theseus flicked his wand lazily and the water split down the middle to splash harmlessly on either side of them. 

“Why must he always be so reckless…?” He muttered. 

“U-um, he’ll probably be on the top level!” Bunty informed them and quickly began up the stairs. She was really starting to get tired of all these stairs… Surely if he could use magic to make this place humongous he could make the stairs into escalators?

Morgan followed after Bunty, Theseus bringing up the rear, and kept stealing glances at the water as they passed. She could see flashes of green sweep past them at speeds she couldn’t keep up with, the water boiling and writhing with movement even with the combined magic of Newt and Theseus keeping it from spilling over them. 

Bunty led them up to a higher platform where a horse’s head burst out of the water. Its body was covered in kelp and Newt sat on the junction of its shoulders and neck, shaking water from his hair with a gleeful expression on his face. Morgan couldn’t help but smile as she watched him lower his head to murmur comfortingly to the creature, hand firmly fisted around what looked to be a rope of some kind. Newt was in his element here, completely different from when he was around people. There was just something about these creatures that made the real Newt shine through that Morgan loved to see. One couldn’t help but admire these creatures when they brought such obvious joy to him. 

“Morgan? The ointment?”

“Oh! Sorry…” She stepped closer, warily eying the creature. The Kelpie looked like a horse in the face except its skin color and the kelp that hung from its frame. It eyed her right back, baleful and haunting in the dark depths of its eyes. 

“It’s alright, he won’t hurt you now that I’ve got him bridled. They’ll drown you if you don’t have some sort of bridle or tack to control them.”

“That’s… not comforting in the slightest…” She handed up the jar which he took and snapped the lid off, waving his wand to pull a portion of it out and directing it onto the skin. She followed the trail to a wide gash, green ichor sluggishly leaking out of the wound while black pus mixed with it to tangle in its leafy fronds. “What happened to him?”

“He was hit by a stray harpoon,” Newt responded. He leaned down and gently patted the creature’s neck. “I think they were hunting seals and he just happened to be in the way.”

“You should have already had something to use for a bridle ready before jumping into the water,” Theseus scolded, breaking into the conversation. Newt frowned at him, an obvious shift in his countenance as he continued to slather the wound in ointment. 

“You would never show a Kelpie you have a way to bind it. It wouldn’t approach you.” He said as if it were obvious and Theseus sighed yet Morgan could detect a hint of pride pulling at the corners of his lips. For all his over-protectiveness and  _ nagging _ , she could tell it stemmed from a place of love. It certainly wasn’t seen that way by Newt, and Morgan wondered how much water was under  **that** bridge. “Bunty, do we have anymore waterproof bandages?”

“We may have some!”

“If you would show Theseus where they are, I’d appreciate it. I don’t want you doing too much with that hand of yours and surely he can do that.” His older brother gave an irritated growl. “After that, you should clock off. You’ve had quite the day,” he continued with the practiced ease of one who has ignored his brother for  _ years _ .

“O-oh, I’m happy to stay and help for as long as you need, Newt!”

Morgan took a step back while the three bickered and talked as if it was the most normal thing in the world that one of them was sitting on a creature that was straight out of a legend. It suddenly made her realize what a different world they lived in. All the creatures flying or walking around that were urban legends and mythology in her world were every day animals for them. She had known it was different the first time Newt introduced her to his world, but it was just now striking home how  _ much _ different. It was as if they lived on two totally different planes of existence. No matter how much she saw or was told, she would never fully belong in this world like they did. 

The realization made something twist painfully in her chest and she thought briefly that perhaps the whole call for secrecy wasn’t just for the protection of the wizards, but also the muggles who would see what they could never have. 

She slunk away from them, back up the stairs into the normalcy of the apartment Newt called home. But that wasn’t his real home was it? That was hidden from plain sight, stashed away under the surface. It reflected the wizard himself in a lot of ways. Unassuming and looked over, yet housing an explosion of life and magic. It was something she was privileged to see, but something she would never fully understand. 

But, if the tip of the iceberg was the only thing she would ever see of this magical world, she could be grateful for that. 

“Trying to slip away?”

“JESUS!” Morgan shrieked and spun around to face a smirking Theseus. “Warn a girl! God, you just appeared like--”

“Magic? It is in the blood.” She narrowed her eyes at him while trying to take calming breaths. Her heart was racing and  _ of course _ he was taking amusement from her terror. She’d say the two brothers were different that way, but she distinctly remembered Newt also seemed to be amused by scaring or surprising other people. She  _ knew _ he kept giving little secretive smiles every time he shocked her. Like pulling her into the face of a blasted  _ mountain _ ! He probably didn’t even know he was doing it.

The sadistic jerks… Apparently  _ that _ fruit didn’t fall too far from the tree… 

Even if other traits seemed to have come from another tree altogether.

“I wasn’t trying to leave.”

“No? Then what  _ were _ you doing?” Morgan glared at him, anger simmering in her gut.

“Are you insinuating I was doing something  _ wrong _ ? I’m not about to call a bunch of people, or muggles, in here and rat all you guys out. I’m not here to steal, or whatever else you think I might be doing to your brother!” Theseus pushed off from the doorframe and stepped towards her. She took an instinctive step back and frowned when fear began to pierce through her anger. Newt she could never be afraid of, but his brother was a completely different animal. It wasn’t as if she even knew every spell or magic curse that was actually available to them, just whatever she had seen Newt do which, truthfully, had been very little. She grabbed hold of the lingering anger and used it to give her strength enough to stand firm. 

Theseus stopped in front of her and geez! Why did he have to be even  _ taller _ than Newt? She was forced to take another pace backwards to avoid having to snap her neck to look at him. She still had to crane her head to meet his gaze and wasn’t that annoying?

“My brother doesn’t have a lot of friends, but here he is, making friends all over now. Maybe we should have moved to America if that’s where all of them were…” The last sentence was said more quietly and he sighed. “My brother can do a lot of things, but looking at the big picture isn’t one of them. He takes hold of something and runs with it.”

“So I’m just a passing fancy?”

“No, unfortunately.” Morgan could feel her anger sharpening and Theseus sighed deeper this time. “Newt doesn’t think past the present moment and I’m not saying this to be unkind. But, right now, it’s not safe for you to be in our world.”

“Is it ever?” Theseus paused at that, mouth twisting. 

“No,” he admitted. “This time, however, is far worse than any other. I know how deeply Newt gets attached and I don’t want him to suffer because of you.”

“I wouldn’t hurt him!”

“Not intentionally, no, but there’s countless ways to unintentionally break someone. Or, for someone else to do so.” Morgan frowned up at him, crossing her arms tightly. The inflection of his voice was different, a soft tone of concern running through it but also overlaid with fear. Whatever he was vaguely alluding to  _ scared _ him and if it scared a  _ wizard _ …

What should she feel? 

“I’m not going to stop being his friend, that wouldn’t make sense after this,” she eventually spoke. His shoulders relaxed, the lack of tension loosening his posture. He didn’t look as scary now and more relieved than anything else.

“I wouldn’t ask that, but maybe give him space. Until all this blows over.”

“And when will that be? You won’t even tell me what  _ this  _ is.” Theseus crossed his arms and regarded her with a hooded stare. He was silent a beat more then suddenly his arms dropped and he exhaled slowly, exhaustion shadowing his features.

“I don’t know.”

There was the sound of a throat being cleared and the two turned to see Newt standing in the doorway. He looked anxiously between them, his hands wringing a cloth. 

“I noticed you two were absent. Is everything alright?”

“Yes, I just didn’t want to get in the way,” Morgan offered, allowing her arms to hang limply at her sides. His brow furrowed, head tilting with confusion. 

“Why would you think that?” She shrugged and gave him a smile. 

“I’m just good at holding things for you, Newt.”

“Morgan--”

“Besides,” she cut in, “I need to get going. It’s late and I wouldn’t want to throw off any plans you all have tonight!” 

“If you’re still in town tomorrow…” He trailed off with uncertainty. In her peripheral, she could see Theseus’s shoulders once more begin to tense, his posture tightening like the string on a bow. 

“I think I’ll be helping father with his associates.” His eyes narrowed at his brother, suspicion darkening his features. His fingers were tight around the cloth in his hands and his gaze flickered between the two of them. She could see the gears turning in his head and knew he would connect the dots. He might not know what exactly was said, but she doubted anything Theseus said could help him now. 

That and she didn’t like the faint traces of hurt she could detect in his expression. She would not be the cause of him hurting. She  _ would  _ **_not_ ** . 

“Do you have a phone, Newt?” He blinked at her with surprise and Theseus’s head snapped in her direction. She gave him a sharp, spiteful grin. She would keep out of their world, if only because she wouldn’t want to be a burden on Newt for whatever this thing was that had his brother so spooked, but she wouldn’t abandon him completely. 

“Yes… it’s not much, I prefer old-fashioned writing over texting.”

“That’s fine, can I see it?” He stuffed the cloth away in one pocket then fished out a flip phone from another to hand to her and she gave him a pitying stare. “Couldn’t even get a fancy one?”

“This suits my needs just fine. I don’t need--”

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” She stopped him with a laugh. She could already tell that his argument was a well used one and there was no reason for her to hear every reason he most likely had memorized in his head for why his phone was sufficient. “Do you have a data plan that allows international calls?” Confusion swept across his face and she stifled a giggle. He was certainly an old soul…

“It’s a plan that allows calls to other countries with no extra charges,” Theseus explained with a sigh. He certainly sighed a lot didn’t he? “I helped you get it after you agreed to go traveling for your book.”

“Ah, that’s right. Then yes.” While they were talking, Morgan dug her phone out and with a few quick swipes and taps had a new contact page pulled up. She offered it to Newt who took it hesitantly, sending her a questioning look.

“You’re going to put your number in right here,” she said as she saddled up next to him. “Then I’m going to put my number in your phone, that way we can still stay connected! You can call me, you don’t have to text, but I’m making it your responsibility to remember our different time zones and not wake me up at some ungodly hour! I’ll provide you that same courtesy.”

“Alright…” He did as asked while it took her a few moments to find where to add her number in his phone. No wonder he didn’t like to text when he didn’t even have a full keyboard! They switched and she saved the new contact information. 

“I’ll be here until Friday. We leave Saturday morning, so maybe between now and then we can get together for a coffee or something!” Theseus shot her a disapproving look which she returned with a glare of her own. She never agreed to leave Newt alone and if she was here, she was going to enjoy this time she could have before pulling away from him and this magical world. Newt’s eyes flickered between the two of them before finally settling on her. 

“I’ll contact you when I’m free.” She barely bit back the grin that threatened to come, a familiar mischievous sparkle in his eye. Unless his brother checked in on him every day, he wouldn’t know when or where they would meet. Though she certainly wouldn’t put it past him. 

“Sounds good. Now! Thank you for the tour, and the terrifying experience of Kelpie bites, but I’ll be on my way.”

“Do you know your way back to your hotel?” Newt asked, following after her as she headed into the living room to retrieve her bag and coat. 

“I’ll just flag a taxi down.”

“Let me escort you back.”

“It’s fine, Newt! It’s not too dark outside and I’ll be fine.” He looked ready to protest when Theseus stepped smoothly between them. 

“I’ll take her back to her hotel.” The blood rushed from her face and Newt stiffened. 

“No.”

“Come now, little brother, do you really not trust me?”

“I don’t.” There was a flicker of hurt before it was swept away by irritation. 

“Your assistant was injured while caring for  _ your _ creatures, Newt, the least you could do is see that she gets home safely. Are you really going to just leave her here to go on her own after a traumatic experience like that?” Newt’s entire face scrunched, annoyance and guilt warring on his face. 

“I could take her home first--”

“It’s alright, Newt. Miss… Bunty? She deserves your attention more than me. If Theseus wants to walk with me so badly, who am I to deny him?” Newt looked between them, hands fidgeting by his sides and finally he straightened and pinned Theseus with a stern look.

“Make sure she gets home safely.” Theseus gave a dip of his head and Morgan tugged on her coat. “I’ll call you later, Morgan.” Even if it was spoken about her, it was directed at Theseus, a silent warning which got a snort and an eyeroll. 

“I’m glad I found you again, Newt. Though I have to admit, I miss the dragon that was with it last time.” He offered her a lopsided grin and a wave. 

“Maybe next time.” Morgan returned his wave and Theseus opened the door for her. He followed her out and took a silent place by her side. After a moment of walking she frowned up at him. 

“You’re not going to Oblivate me are you?”

“Newt would never forgive me if I did that.”

“That wasn’t a no.” He glanced down at her, a curl to his lips. 

“It wasn’t a yes either.” Oh, this walk was going to be  _ hell _ ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get a POV from Morgan! I thought it'd be interesting to explore the scene with Bunty from the second movie and how she received those wounds that required Newt to be honestly concerned she'd lose fingers. Dang sea horses and their love of eating humans...   
> Thanks for reading :3


	11. Marry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on a tumblr post:  
> Tina: who would marry him?  
> Newt: me  
> Tina: what?  
> Newt: what?

“Do you even  _ know _ the laws of the American magical society?”

“I know you have some pretty odd ones on non magical people. Can’t marry them, or even befriend them--”

“Who would want to marry him?”

“Me.”

“What?” He blinked at her, not entirely sure where the answer he gave came from. But now that he said it, then he was certainly going to defend it.

“He seems to be suitable in looks, and he definitely has quick reflexes.” He rubbed at the sore spot on his temple. “I can attest to that. Cool under pressure. So why not marry him?”

“Look at him!” Ms. Goldstein hissed, waving both hands at him as if that would make a difference. “You just said the very law yourself,  _ No marriage to a No-Maj,  _ so why are you even suggesting you could marry him?!”

“Well, I’m from London, so I was just assuming those didn’t apply to me.”

“Always wanted to go there,” their muggle companion mumbled, using the wall and a dresser to try and pull himself up off the floor.

“There we go.”

“For the love of--just help me! One of your creatures--” As she was bending down to help, a pink rodent with tentacles over the entirety of its body leaped out from under the muggle at her. She gave a short shriek and jerked back while Newt darted forward to grab it by the hind legs. “Mercy Lewis! What  _ is _ that?” Newt knelt and snapped his case open, dropping the screeching creature straight into it.

“That’s a Murtlap.”

“It’s a little bastard,” the muggle grumbled. “Bite that hurt like hell…”

“Yes, he can be. Well, dear, you’ve already helped me capture one of my creatures. Your suitability is rising significantly!”

“For the last time, you cannot marry a No-Maj! You don’t even know his name--”

“It’s, uh, Kolwaski. Jacob Kolwaski.”

“You can’t marry Mr. Kolwaski! Not only do you not  _ know _ the man, he’s a No-Maj! You don’t even have a ring--”

“I actually have one in my pocket,” Jacob offered as he flopped onto his butt, leaning up against the wall. “My fiancee… Mildred… she gave it back to me when I couldn’t get the bank to offer anything…”

“Morgana’s teeth…” Ms. Goldstein hissed. 

“Oh, this really is all coming together quite nicely. Could I see it?”

“Be my guest, pal.” Jacob dug the ring out of his pocket and gave it to the wizard. 

“This isn’t normally my style, or certainly my size, but I could see how my Niffler would--” At that moment the picture on the wall of an older woman fell and said Niffler popped out of a hole that had been covered by the picture, lunging for the ring. “Aha! There you are!” He snagged the Niffler in the air, holding him in a tight grip between his arm and chest while the little creature squirmed, clawing at the air for the ring in his other hand. “Listen, I will allow you to have this you greedy little bugger, if you  _ promise _ me to stay in the case for the entirety of our trip!”

The Niffler stilled, mulled over his words, before nodding and glancing up at him with a sniff. 

“Alright then.” He offered the ring which was promptly snatched by the Niffler and shoved into his pouch. Newt knelt and once more popped open his case, a tree branch curling up out of the suitcase, leaves springing out from the bark. 

“Well that’s something you don’t see every day…” Jacob muttered, staring wide-eyed at the case. Newt offered him a brief smile before leaning close to allow the Niffler to hop onto the spindly branches. 

“What all do you have in there?” Ms. Goldstein gasped as the tree and Niffler both sank back into the depths of the suitcase. Newt snapped it closed, checking the latches  _ twice _ before standing and turning to face her. 

“Just a little bit of everything.” He glanced back at Jacob and his smile widened faintly. “That’s the second creature you’ve helped me with, Mr. Kolwaski. You’re proving to be quite invaluable to me.” He leaned closer and frowned at the muggle, tilting his head to better assess the bite. “You’re definitely more susceptible than anyone else I’ve seen to murtlap bites. We’ll have to get that looked at…”

“You can look at it at my place.” Newt stood and looked at her with shock.

“I can treat him in my ca--”

“At. My. Place,” she ground out every word. “You think I’ll let you out of my sight after you just unleashed Morgana knows what onto the streets of New York City?”

“That was a bit of my fault,” Jacob offered weakly from the floor. 

“My dear, you’re already defending me?” Newt looked at the muggle rather helplessly, a softness to his features.

“Mercy Lewis, give me strength…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed up the order of events a bit but oh well ;)  
> Be safe peeps and thanks for reading~


	12. Codenames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is basically just a crack fic using the codename meme :D

"So, because of our plan against Grindelwald I propose we have codenames."

"Why can't we just use our own names?"

"Obviously because he knows who we are and if I yell,  _ Hey, Theseus go behind him! _ He'll know you and be able to counter. But if I shout a codename he won't know who to look for that's attacking him!"

"I suppose I can see the logic in that…"

"Okay, so I'll give the codenames."

"Why do you get to pick them, Newt?"

"Because it was my idea now shush! You will now address me as  _ Phoenix One. _ Leta, you'll be  _ Been There, Done That _ ." 

"Excuse me?" 

"Tina is  _ Currently Doing That _ ."

" _ Newt _ _!_ " The magizoologist lifted his hand and after an awkward silence, Tina high-fived him with a mixture of confusion and embarrassment. 

"Percival, you'll be  _ It Happened Once in a Dream _ ."

"I don't even know why I'm here," the American grumbled tiredly. 

"Jacob, your codename is  _ If I Had to Pick a Muggle _ ." Jacob gave him a shaky smile. Somewhere far, far,  _ far _ in the distance there was a screech of  _ HE'S MINE _ that went unheard by the gathered group. "Theseus…" His brother was sweating bullets, grimacing at the other names. "You'll be  _ Phoenix Two." _

"Oh thank Merlin," he breathed. 

"Okay! Everyone has been assigned a codename! Oh, professor, I almost forgot you!" Albus blinked, having been quietly standing in the corner while watching the others squirm. 

"You have a name for me, Newt?"

"Of course! Everyone involved in the plan must have one. Yours, Albus Dumbledore, is  _ I'd Be Lying if I Said I Never Thought About It _ ." The door was suddenly kicked in and Gellert Grindelwald stood before them with rage on his face.

"I KNEW IT!" He shrieked at the magizoologist. Before he could react however the others in the room tackled him, grappling for control of his wand. Newt nodded at the dog pile on the ground and gave a clap of his hands once Grindelwald had been successfully pinned.

"Great execution of the plan everyone!"

"That was the plan?!" Graves snapped at him.

"Of course, didn't any of you read my notes?"

"So the names didn't mean anything? It was just part of your plan?" Leta demanded. 

"I'll leave that for you to decide," he said with a wink as he stepped over them. "Let me go get the Aurors!" 


End file.
